Today is Friday, the 27th of March, 2020. The picture, above, was taken in late December last year in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I thought that the hours for this small gallery were very amusing and represented the laid back vibe in this small Mexican city. I share it with you now, because it's taken on a whole new meaning. For many, the transition from full speed ahead to a virtual stop has been particularly jarring.
Apart from social distancing, one of the key things we are reminded to do is to frequently and thoroughly is to wash our hands. As someone who taught home economics/family studies, Bonnie remembers --- not very fondly --- how difficult it was to get students to take washing hands and washing dishes seriously.
Chris Williams, in a posting to Quora, came up with a novel, humorous and effective solution.
o-o-o-o-o-o
What is the most misunderstood hygiene habit?
Having taught home economics for many years, I would say that the most misunderstood hygiene problem is grasping how prevalent bacteria are and how determined they are to grow anywhere and at every opportunity. Since I worked around a lot of food and hundreds of teens, I looked for ways to convince them to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, as well as wash their hands and dishes properly.
I used to show them how to wash hands, using soap and running water, and rinsing the germs down the sink. I'd tell them, “Remember, it should take twenty seconds. Just recite a nursery rhyme to yourself.”
That kind of worked until the year I realized that no one had been taught nursery rhymes anymore. A classful of students stared at me with blank looks.
I tried to explain, “You know, like ‘Hey, diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon! The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon.’ ”
They looked at me like I'd lost my mind. It made me wonder why we were all taught these for so many years. I then said, “Okay, just sing Happy Birthday to yourself. You know that one?” They did.
I had all sorts of exciting, short videos to teach them warnings about bacteria and viruses. Short to keep their attention and exciting to help them remember the importance of cleanliness. But, one thing I did helped the most.
I'd get a clean glass out and fill it with some cool, refreshing water. Then I'd work up a good mouthful of mucus and spit into it. “Anyone want a drink of this?” I'd ask. Every eye rolled at me. “Even I don't want to drink this, and it's my spit!”
I dumped it down the sink, just rinsed it under running water, and dried it part way. Then I refilled it with more water and offered them another drink. No one ever drank it.
“No one wants to drink or eat off of these. When you use a glass or a fork, aren't you glad that I insist that the class before you are washing these properly? I expect the same from you. So, let's learn how to wash.”
Then I showed them how to wash dishes and glasses properly. Sometimes you need a little motivation to do the right thing.