Montessori Mom

Washing your hands is a great way to prevent illness. I encourage children to sing or chant a little song while they wash their hands. It helps them to wash their hands long enough to remove dirt and germs. They can sing or chant the ABC song or count all their fingers 3 times.

Materials:
Soap
warm water
basin or sink
towel
nailbrush to scrub under dirty nails

1. Let the child stand before the basin or sink. ( let them stand on a stool if the sink is too tall) Have your child roll up his or her shirtsleeves.
2. Have child place a stopper in the drain if using a sink. Fill with warm water.
3. Have child place hands in water.
4.Rub a good amount of soap on hands, then replace to place or soap dish.
5.Rub each soapy palm of hand onto the backside of hands. Rub soap onto wrists as well. Rub each finger from tip to bottom. Scrub nails with nailbrush if needed.
6. Rinse off soap in water. Drain water from the sink or basin. You can also run clean water from the tap to rinse off hands.
7. With a towel, dry each finger, the front and back of the hand, and the wrists.
9. Hang towel on a hook or towel bar.
10. You can have your child rub lotion or powder on his or her hands in circular movements. This helps with eye to hand coordination.

This exercise helps learn control of movement and order of operations for an activity. It also teaches care of self and independence.
Control of Error: The child's hands are clean if done correctly.

Brushing teeth
You can start doing this with toddlers as young as 18 months old. Your teeth are a life long investment.
Materials:
A toothbrush identified with your child's name or a special color or sticker on it.
Toothpaste or baking soda with flavor
A glass of water
A sink or basin for spitting
Egg timer to make sure your child has brushed his or her teeth long enough.


Parents should start cleaning their babies' teeth as soon as possible. After eating you can wipe a baby's teeth with a gauze cloth.

1. Let child hold the toothbrush and wet it with water under the tap or with a small pitcher of water. Show the child how to squeeze the tube of toothpaste. Let the child gently squeeze the tube onto his or her finer. Then have the child put the toothpaste on the brush. (If the child doesn't like toothpaste to begin with, just wet the toothbrush with water.)
You can show this part of the lesson with your own toothbrush.

2. With your own toothbrush, show the child how to brush in circular motion. Show how each tooth needs to be painted with toothpaste on every part of it. Let your child turn over the egg timer and start brushing his or her teeth. (In the beginning parents can help brush their children's teeth every night to make sure they can brush properly.)

3. Let the child rinse with water and spit into a sink or basin. Pour out any remaining water from the glass.
Have your child put his or her toothbrush into the glass and put it on a shelf.

Start with clean hands.
Materials:
Soap or lotion
warm water
basin or sink
towel

Washing Face

1. Let the child stand before the basin or sink. ( let them stand on a stool if the sink is too tall) Have your child roll up his or her shirtsleeves.
2. Have child place a stopper in the drain if using a sink. Fill with warm water.
3. Have child place hands in water.
4. Rub a small amount of lotion or soap on hands, then replace to place or soap dish.
5. Rub palms together. Rub the chin, lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead, lightly with damp soapy hands.
   
6. Wash with fingers behind ears, outer ear, and lastly the front and back of the neck. Make sure the children avoid getting soap or lotion their eyes.
7. Rinse hands in water and wipe with hands the soap from face. Keep eyes closed while rinsing. Drain water from the sink or basin.
8. With a towel, dry.
9. Hang towel on a hook or towel bar.
10. You can have your child rub lotion or powder on his or her hands in circular movements. This helps with eye to hand coordination.

This exercise helps learn control of movement and order of operations for an activity. It also teaches care of self and independence.
Control of Error: The child's hands are clean if done correctly.