Please just wash your hands!!

With a four year old boy I often find myself saying ( and shouting ) " wash your hands " " have your washed your hands ? " I fear I am losing my mind ! Most day the boy is out in the garden digging / playing in the sand and just getting dirty and don't get my started on bathroom habits !! I have tried a fair few things but nothing really seems to be getting the message across about germs and how important it is that he wash his hands.

We used to go with him to the bathroom each time he needed the toilet but now st over four years old he will often rush up and shut the door and I don't want still be needed in the bathroom with him.

I will often lay in bed in the mornings hear him get out of bed and walk across into the bathroom, then I hear... Nothing... No flush ... No running water from the tap... Nothing !! When asked he will swear blind that he has flushed and washed his hands, I find myself getting frustrated with him over this, cold & flu season is in full swing and I for one do not want to catch anything from him being a lazy little toad.

For a while we had a hand soap in the bathroom with minions on that would talk once you pumped the soap out, so I could hear if he was using the soap. But Bodhi soon learnt that he only had to touch the top for the sound to go off so this soon stopped working for us in the right way. 

I have used carex hand soaps in the past and was pleased to see the cola bottle scent back in stock at my local Sainsbury's, if you haven't sniffed this carex soap I suggest having a look out for it and giving it a whiff ! It 100% smells like the pix & mix sweet cola bottles and once washed with your hands will also smell like sweets. 

I thought it was worth a try so I picked up a bottle and stuck it in the bathroom, the next morning Bodhi had told me he had washed his hands and I asked to smell them, he looked a little surprise but let me. When I couldn't smell anything I took him to the bathroom and we washed our hands together with the cola bottles soap, afterwards I asked him to smell my hands " oh mummy your hands smell like sweets can I have one ? " my four year old son honestly thought I had been eating sweets my hands smelt that good. So I have made a deal with Bodhi. We have agreed that if he flushes and washes he hands after going to the toilet without being prompted by me he can have a real coal bottle sweet. 

So far so good, bodhi has had x3 cola bottles ( we have been out a big part of the day ) I am hopeful that in a few days we can drop the sweet rewards and he will carry on with good hand washing hygiene.