Here’s the thing: What happens in the bathroom is private and too uncomfortable to discuss. However, details about hygiene and body maintenance, as uncomfortable as they are to explain, are too important to hope that kids “figure them out on their own”. They need to be taught to ensure that children could take proper care of themselves. And one of these details includes the proper way to wipe.
Ask any adult how they wipe. After they recover from such an appalling question, you’ll realize that there isn’t a truly universal method. Most people have a different way of going about it because there was no proper instruction for it growing up. No one thinks about it, so no one thinks about how to teach it to their kids. Except this teacher did.
Teacher Adds the Proper Way to Wipe to her Curriculum
One teacher ignored the usual hush-hush around bathroom talk. She devised a simple but brilliant way to teach her students the proper way to wipe and her class went viral.
In the video, she sits in a low chair with her back to the students. Attached to the back of the chair are two balloons pressed together to signify a butt. Behind her, her students sit in chairs with the same setup. She takes a piece of toilet paper and demonstrates the best wiping method of “front to back” between the balloons. She even shows them how to fold the toilet paper before “wiping” again and flushing it. The kids watch her attentively, knowing that this is an important life skill.
We don’t teach essential skills in American schools. pic.twitter.com/OnKwolhKVY
— jamie (@gnuman1979) October 10, 2019
The video went viral over social media. Although the origins of the clip and the teacher are unknown, people take great inspiration from her and praise her for teaching her young students vital life lessons.
“I have a 4-year-old and (an) 8-year-old niece who both barely even wipe as is!!” writes one person. “No matter how much we talk to them!”
“Little kids barely ever wipe correctly,” added another commenter. “Add on that they probably listen to their teacher more than they listen to their parent(s), this is a great idea.” [1]
Should Only Parents Teach Hygiene Skills?
The biggest criticism people had against the lesson was that parents should be teaching kids hygiene skills, not teachers. However, some commenters, like the one above, countered this. Sadly, many households fail to teach their children one or two basic skills — or many skills in less than stellar circumstances. Besides, even if kids did get the lesson from their parents, a refresher course from another authority figure they respect can always be helpful. Besides, although this task seems basic to adults — so basic they don’t think it even needs to be taught — it’s all new to kids. And with every new skill, it requires patience and repetition, no matter how awkward the subject matter might be. [2]
Since this lesson isn’t taught in schools in the States, parents could take a leaf out of the teacher’s book and use her balloon method to instruct the proper way to wipe. Don’t feel embarrassed; kids take their cues from adults and if their parent treats a subject seriously, so would the child.
How Teachers Should Instruct Good Hygiene to Their Students?
According to pediatricians, children starting elementary school are the hardest to teach good hygiene skills. Especially when they’ve gotten into the habit of some bad ones.
“They just are more impulsive, where they will pick up something and put it in their mouth,” said pediatrician Dr. Candice Jones. “They’re going to touch their face, they’re going to play with each other. They’re going to forget all the rules and all the things that you’ve taught them when something else comes up that they want to do. They can’t just control that impulse.”
Creativity can go a long way in helping these cleanliness skills develop. According to Jones, “If you really want those measures to hit home, you have to think like a child. And you have to make it fun, and creative, and imaginative.” [3]
Good hygiene is the first line of defense against many diseases and infections, especially during the current pandemic. With children spending so much of their days at school, it would be beneficial for the curriculum to take an active role in cultivating good habits. These lessons could include experts on the subjects, class conversations, problem-solving discussions, brainstorming sessions, games, role-playing demonstrations, etc. [4]
Children may not be receiving this education at home, and even if they are, a review is always helpful. Plus, most parents won’t be aware of the science behind these skills or the best methods to maintain them. These skills, such as the proper way to wipe, may seem awkward and “best unspoken” for us, but they are new and necessary for kids.
References
- “Video Of A Teacher Showing Kids The Proper Way To Wipe Has Gone Viral.” Tip Hero.
- “Balloon-Wiping Teacher Goes Viral in Video Teaching Critical Bathroom-Wiping Skills.” Parents. Kristi Pahr. October 15, 2019.
- “How Do You Teach Young Students Good Hygiene? “Think Like a Child,” Says Doctor.” Bay News 9. Emily Braun.July 14, 2020
- “Teaching methods used by teachers to facilitate hygiene Practices in Early Childhood Education Centers in Londiani Sub-County.” International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications. Judy Chepkurui Kerich, Dr. Hellen Sang, Dr. Andrew Kipkosgei. October 2017.
