Before we eat, we get our hands ready. Clean hands are the first table manner.
Key idea
Wash with water and soap, scrub all over, rinse, then dry.
Why it works
Hands touch everything. Washing keeps dirt off our food, and it is kind to the people we eat with and pass food to.
Wash before you eat, after you use the bathroom, after you play outside, and after you blow your nose or cough into your hands.
Worked example: Let's practice
Hana comes in from the park. It is snack time. What does she do?
- She wets her hands and adds soap.
- She scrubs the fronts, the backs, between her fingers and under her nails, for about as long as it takes to hum “Happy Birthday” twice.
- She rinses and dries.
Answer: Hana washes with soap, scrubs, rinses and dries. Now she can eat.
Common mistake
Rinsing for one second without soap. Soap and a good scrub are what clean hands. Then rinse and dry.
For the grown-up. Wash hands together before meals so it becomes a routine, not a reminder. A step stool and soap your child can reach make it easier to do alone.