I was just listening to People's Pharmacy on NPR and they spoke to someone about hand washing as the primary defense against catching colds. They also mentioned washing for 20 or 25 seconds, which is truthfully much longer than I wash my hands for, and certainly longer than my almost 3yo and 5yo do. Basically, we wet, suds up with liquid soap, and rinse until it's off. One thing the NPR guest said was to use warm water in the winter, just so that you can tolerate your hands being under the water long enough to do the job. 
:
I would like to start working on this with them, and am looking for ideas. Did you teach your dc to sing a certain song all the way through while washing? When do you hand wash? In our house, the dc wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating if they have been outside (lead paint issues). It is not automatic to wash hands here before a snack or meal, we usually insist if they are known to be dirty. I feel like we are often pulling teeth to get hands washed those times at all, so doing it more seems daunting. My ds#1 tends to put his fingers in his mouth a lot, which I hate, but don't have any control over.
I think this is really important, though, especially during cold/flu season, and especially as people in-the-know seem to be watching for the next epidemic to start up.
:I would like to start working on this with them, and am looking for ideas. Did you teach your dc to sing a certain song all the way through while washing? When do you hand wash? In our house, the dc wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating if they have been outside (lead paint issues). It is not automatic to wash hands here before a snack or meal, we usually insist if they are known to be dirty. I feel like we are often pulling teeth to get hands washed those times at all, so doing it more seems daunting. My ds#1 tends to put his fingers in his mouth a lot, which I hate, but don't have any control over.
I think this is really important, though, especially during cold/flu season, and especially as people in-the-know seem to be watching for the next epidemic to start up.
: We're dirty, I guess, but rarely sick.
