Three Year Old Will NOT Cover Mouth When Sneezing! Gah!
 

I have a dcg3 who absolutely will not cover her mouth when she sneezes! EVER! I remind her every time, I show her how I would cover my mouth, I have her show me. And its just not sinking in.
Any tricks for getting someone to cover their mouth? I'm guessing she has never been told to do that at home.

Keep teaching her, eventually she will get it.

A previous thread: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67169

I have it in my policy that I will use a mask.

I got the monthly newsletter from our food program coordinator yesterday and they had a cool tip in there for this very problem! Put a tattoo on the spot where they should be placing their mouth when they sneeze. Kids would remember that after a few times I bet!

Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
I got the monthly newsletter from our food program coordinator yesterday and they had a cool tip in there for this very problem! Put a tattoo on the spot where they should be placing their mouth when they sneeze. Kids would remember that after a few times I bet!

That's a good idea! I have school agers I have to constantly remind not to cough/sneeze in each others faces. :rolleyes:

I make a point to say, "Thank you for being an elbow cough-er." when I see kids doing it correctly. I want to pay attention to the correct behavior and recognize it whenever I can for whatever they are doing. Some people might prefer they cough into their hand so they can wash off. I like the elbow coughing technique. Some people have kids pull up their neckline and cough into that.

That said, it is frustrating in this situation when they are coughing all over everything.

I like the tattoo idea!

Start practicing during circle time! Pretend your hands are binnoculars. Say, "I see _______ elbow coughing." and go around to all the kids. Use songs! There are lots of you-tube videos to watch.

Tune: Frere Jacques

Are you coughing?
Are you sneezing?
Use your elbow.
Use your elbow.
Germs are always flying,
Germs are always flying.
All around.
All around.

Tune: Frere Jacques

Cover you nose, cover your mouth
When you sneeze, when you sneeze
So you won't spread germs, so you won't spread germs
Cover your mouth, cover your mouth

I've always done a health lesson. I take sequins (I have some that are different shapes) after I read the story..."Those Mean, Nasty, Dirty, Downright Disgusting but Invisible Germs." (I also have it made into a flannel board story) and talk about real germs are invisible and you can not see them. I talk about when we cough without covering our cough the germs fly everywhere. I take the sequins and tell them we are going to pretend they are germs. I walk around the room and cough a little into my hand and fling the sequins around. I tell ya....they find those "germs" for days, and days and days.

Now this won't work if you have infants, as they can find them and put them in their mouth. I also have two rooms separate from my home and I don't care if there are sequins all over.

I've also seen where you can take a spray bottle and put a little tiny bit of food coloring in to tint it. Pretend to cough and spray the kids. They know what boogies are and don't want that spray on them. They really want to know what is in that bottle!!!

I also give them cheap plastic magnifying glasses and they go around looking for germs. They find all kids of lint, spec of paper, etc. they say are germs and have sprayed all over and throw them in the garbage. It's an awareness thing!

Take a picture of each one of them coughing the way you want them to cough and hand them up and point them out or put them into a book...Make a predictive book. I see Jenna covering her cough, I see Allison coughing her cough, etc. and read it to them.

One other one.....pretend to sneeze, spray your hand with Pam cooking oil and sprinkle on a little glitter and then shake hands with each child. It will stick to their hand. Then go wash the germs away. A GOOD visual! Sit at the table if you don't want oil on things then go to the bathroom and wash it off. There really won't be much oil.

[quote=Unregistered;573127]One other one.....pretend to sneeze, spray your hand with Pam cooking oil and sprinkle on a little glitter and then shake hands with each child. It will stick to their hand. Then go wash the germs away. A GOOD visual! Sit at the table if you don't want oil on things then go to the bathroom and wash it off. There really won't be much oil.[/QUOTE

Or put some glitter in hand sanitizer....will do the same thing!

Cool ideas, may do the pam one today. :)
Yesterday we were doing some artwork at the table and almost 3 yo had a huge sneeze, course she didn't cover her mouth. She could see droplets all over her picture, so yeh, we had a little talk.

A pinch of flour for "germs". Pretend to sneeze or cough on it and it it flies but no big mess. A bit on kids hands and they will see the pretend germs go on furniture and toys but its such a little bit that there is no mess to clean up. Just brush off or use a wipe if you need to clean up.