Hand Wash

One of the key practical life skills to impart our little ones, is hand washing. To me, it is a great milestone for Sophie to learn this skill. She has to be able to stand unsupported and show some interest in grooming before I can try to teach her the skill. And of course, she must be able to understand basic instructions. On my part, the facilities must be designed to suit her age and size. I must also break down the activity into a sequence of manageable tasks. So far, I only aroused her interest in hand washing. The rest will come through practice and familiarity. The activity ("How do we do it?") must also be accompanied with explanation of "Why must we do it?" and "When should we do it?". Not quite as easy and straightforward as it seems...

I could not find a stool high enough for Sophie to reach the sink and tap, so I put a bowl (for water), hand wash (no one use soap anymore), a hand towel and her grooming set (brush, toothbrush and tooth paste) on a tray and place it on her Ikea chair. In order to help Sophie focus, I also stuck a mirror at her eye level.

Values to impart:

1. Wash hands regularly (before meals, after any activity, or whenever dirty)

2. Use only 1 or 2 squirts of handwash only (no wastage).

3. Minimize splashing of water.

4. Wipe hands dry after each wash.

5. Be neat and tidy (check the mirror).