covering their mouth

[lucypevensie]

How do you teach a kid to cover their mouth when they cough? My 5 year old STILL has to be told every time she coughs to cover her mouth. I have told her why she should do this and explained the germ thing and manners and all.

 

[GREG]

keep telling them............ its a learning process

 

[fairyshyone]

Keep on telling her..... they do catch on sooner or later.

 

[panterapat]

I have seven children. When I want them to grasp a certain concept I simply tell them:

over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over AGAIN!

Try it!

 

[psycmajor]

Point out a kid who's coughing and not covering their face. Ask your kid, "That kid is spreading germs. Those germs could make you sick. What do you think of that? Do you think it's fair that that they're spreading germs without caring that others might get sick because they're not covering their mouth? You don't cover your mouth when you cough. Do you think it's fair that other people catch your sickness because you decide that you're not going to cover your mouth?"

[Of course, pause at intervals to let your kid reply.]

Developmental psyc is not a strong interest of mine (I don't read much on it), and I don't know if that will work. But if you might be successful if you point out how the feelings of others connect to your child--it shows your child how similar they are to others in thinking. Everybody has their own interests in mind--teach them to connect their thinking to the thinking of others.

 

[IslandBreeze]

Some people will probably think this is horrible, but I read in a book once that a good way to get kids to stop coughing with their mouth open is to get a spray bottle, and lightly spray their face each time you see them doing it. When they get upset, gently remind them that they are doing the same thing to others by not covering their mouth...sounded like a good idea to me...

 

[ukok]

keep telling them, and I also agree with psycmajors advice. Explain why you ask them to do this.

 

[straightforward]

It's taken years...but my kids have started to cover their mouths...all by themselves without my having to tell them to!!! I think they have all had experiences where they were talking to each other or playing a game and got spit on when someone else didn't cover their mouth...discusting...I know...but they have figured it out after hearing it over, and over, and over, etc.

What I think is really funny (right now but maybe not years from now) is that my 2 yr. old has seen his 3 older brothers burp, cover their mouth, and say excuse me sooo often that he will now pretend to burp and then, with the cutest suprised look he can muster, say excuse me!

 

[Fritzpw]

We always just remind them to cover their mouths.

Fred "Fritz" Alberti

 

[enslow]

I have seven children. When I want them to grasp a certain concept I simply tell them:

over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over
over and over and over and over and over and over an over and over and over and over and ove and over and over and over and over and over AGAIN!

Try it!

Same concept I use as a teacher. One kid said "repeating yourself won't help" when I asked him to return to his seat over and over..... again. He returned to his seat.

Enslow

 

[scaddigs]

Just a thought...I'd teach them to sneeze/cough into the crook of their arm (you know, at the elbow) because germs are primarily transferred through those things our hands touch & are then touched by others. HTH
God bless,
Lynn