Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

What is the protocol in your schools?? I come to recently find out that my DD's prek is letting them eat snack without any kind of handcleaning. I am skeeved to say the least. She has been sick every other week since school started. Am I wrong to supply the class with Purell??

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

It may depend on the school district's policy on cleaners.

I have seen schools that give younger kids a baby wipe, but that's about it. Most just encourage hand washing before.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

This was a huge issue in my DD's Kindergarten class. They now wash with soap and water.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Some parents don't like their kids using Purell or antibacterial stuff. You might be better off packing one of those individually wrapped antibacterial Wet Ones along with your DD's snack and remind her to use it before she eats.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

There is a NYS daycare law: Caregivers must ensure that children thoroughly wash their hands or assist children with thoroughly washing their hands with soap and running water when they are dirty, after toileting, before and after food handling or eating, after handling pets or other animals, after contact with any bodily secretion or fluid, and after coming in from outdoors. For diapered children, caregivers must ensure that adequate steps are taken to clean the child after each change of diaper. Caregivers must assist children in keeping clean and comfortable, and in learning appropriate personal hygiene practices

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

The thing I've found about preschool and germs is that even if you keep their hands clean for lunch, snack, whatever... it's such a losing battle, the whole school day is one big germ fest.

Think about it... when the kids arrive at my DS's school, they first sit at their tables and play there. Let's all share the Legos now with the same hands we just coughed into or wiped our noses with! Next let's all gather round for circle time so we can cough and sneeze on each other in even closer proximity than before! Now we're going downstairs to gym class... let's all hold hands with our partner who comes to school no matter how sick they are, and is currently coughing up a lung every 5 minutes! Kids at this age just don't have the same level of hygiene to prevent spreading germs that older kids have.

My DS gets sick all the time too, it's very frustrating but unfortunately I don't know how much can be done. Hopefully as they get older the situation improves.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

I asked Ali on our way home today (but I am going to ask the teachers too)....but she said that as a class they all go to the bathroom - do what they have to do, wash their hands and go back to their room for snack.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

I would definitely approach the school about it. In my kids school, the parents are asked every few months to donate a container or two of the Fresh Ones Anti-Bac wipes. I know for a fact that they use them to wipe the tables before and after eating, as well as letting the kids wipe their hands with them. They also have sinks in the classrooms, where they are able to wash as well.

I totally agree, I'd be skeeved as well! My DS has been home sick the past 3 days (his first ever absences) with a low fever, congestion, cough, etc. I understand it's the weather and time of year as well, but every little bit towards germ-fighting helps!

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

i have no idea.
DD has been sick a lot too..
i know they use the Purell and wipes because they ask for donations of that stuff and I always ALWAYS give!

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

can't you just send in an individual one in her snack bag each day?

i don't use anti-bacterial anything. i don't let my kids use them either unless there is no possible way to wash their hands. i wouldn't be happy if they were supplying it each day in school as i like my kids to use regular soap and water.

and my kids are rarely sick.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

I didn't realize that this was preschool. I'm actually in shock. Both of my kids did a lot of hand washing in preschool. I thought it was health code (like posted)


As a parent, I would rather have handwashing than purell.


on a side note. DS#1 was at a center that pushed handwashing. He was sick quite often, but now in Public school, he hasn't missed a day! Not that I tell him to go when he's sick - he just hasn't been sick! Not so bad to build these immunities now, than when they are starting reading and math KWIM?

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

I know that my daughter's PreK and nursery school teachers have them wash their hands with soap and water and use purell right before eating their snack.

I think this should be absolute protocol in the classroom.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

It's a joke. Honestly, everywhere. They told me they always wash the kids hands b/f eating every where I looked. DS was sick very often. I asked him if he was washing his hands b/f snack and he said no 9/10. Teachers all always said they told them to wash their hands. I started to send him in with wipes packets in his pocket. The teacher said - why are you doing this? We always wash their hands. YEAH RIGHT.

So, now, I tell him EVERY DAY when I drop him off he has to wash his hands or he will be sick for xyz and miss it. Every day, I ask him when he gets in the car if he did and he says yes and I give him some sort of reward. I observed a few times his classroom (double sided mirror) so I know he is telling the truth. 9/10 kids are NOT told to wash their hands and just eat with dirty hands. DS has been getting sick alot less lately!

I have talked to friends about this and they all say "oh, at DC's school they ALWAYS wash their hands." Then, I tell them - oh yeah, ask DC. 9/10 DC says no they don't!

I may sound insane but, this drives me NUTS.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

They wash hands when they come in from the playground. They then do circle time and then indoor activities (play, art, etc), they then wash their hands again before snack. They don't have purell that I have noticed.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

At my DS' preschool, they clean the tables pre-snack, and also give every child an anti-bacterial hand wipe before snack time. It is really not that difficult to implement.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

They use wipes & purell.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

I did get an email back from the director and she will be addressing the issue schoolwide in a meeting. I don't think she was happy hearing from me. And she did state that they should be at least using wipes. Which several parents who sat in on classes(including myself) did not see. So it's a step in the right direction

Message edited 3/23/2011 8:21:16 PM.

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

IMO; just like daycare they should be washing their hands as soon as they get there for the day; after toileting, before and after snack/lunch and playing outside- and of course after blowing nose, sneezing etc...

Proper handwashing should be implemented from the very begining; it teaches them just god hygiene overall IMO

Re: Handwashing/Purell before snack in prek and K?

Bring it up with the teacher. I know our schools policy is that the kids can have purell. If the classroom has a sink in it the kids can use the sink in the classroom but the class can't make a trip to wash their hands.

My DD always carries her hand sanitizer with her.