Personal hygiene, and our kids...

I have recently joined the gym (3 weeks of hard slog, and 5.8 kilos gone forever ), and to my delight there is a girl there in her early 20's with DS who helps out in the cafe. I have observed her a couple of times, and in all honesty I doubt she is paid, as she just seems to wander about, stocks the shelves a bit in the cafe, then wanders up and does 10 minutes of an aerobics class , whatever she wants to do goes, I think. Still, fantastic that they are giving her a go, and she seems to really enjoy being there.

Anyway, the other day I walked into the gym, and she started interacting a bit with my girls as I was signing in. I turned around, and she had her finger a long looooonnngg way up her nose, and then pulled out the contents and started examining them with a great deal of interest. I was talking to Buggsie about it later, and we had a good laugh about how it's a good thing they don't let her make the sandwiches, and how it was like an episode of "Julia Watson, this is your (future) life", She is clean looking, and well presented, and enjoys a bit of exercise here and there, and I would say she is doing well, and I did have to laugh at how guileless she was when she did it, there was no embarassment, just like a child would pick their nose and look at it (I ran in case she ate it like my 3yo!)

Anyway, yesterday I was waiting to go into a toilet, and she came out of a cubicle, and didn't wash her hands. The two things together got me thinking a bit. I am pretty big on personal hygiene, and this worries me. And I figure that considering what our kids are capable of achieving, surely we could drum it into them not to pick their nose in public, and to wash their hands after using the toilet? I am talking about as adults, or young adults at the very least. Someone please tell me this is not unreasonable!

Too funny about the snot!!

Now as far as my Gracie goes she loves washing her hands so I don't think it will be an issue for her. I'm a bit anal about the hygiene too, so I guess it's rubbing off on my girly. She's not a nose picker either...hope she doesn't start though!!

Whoops...forgot to add...well done on the weight loss, that's fantastic

Yeah Jules, you can definately "train" our kids to your own standards. Andy is not a nose picker either however he does have that other nasty male habit of scartching himself regularly in fact I should say, used to! Pretty much he accepts things that he is told like, "don't do that, people don't like to see you scracthing yourself" or words to that effect!

I know one young girl with DS in Geelong who is out of control! behaviour wise, hormone wise etc. and she is very much a product of her home enviornment! I truly beleive if you set the standards, your children will follow. Also kids with DS are the best copiers. If everyone else in your house washes their hands, I would almost guarantee Georgia will too!

Great post as it's something to think about. I think it's definately a product of upbringing - at least to the 'higher' degree.

Two points.
1. Even in the general population peoples behaviour varies significantly. Nobody notices someone in the general population doing something untoward and think 'mmm all those normal people are gross aren't they'. Unfortunately in the DS or other minority groups, small numbers (or even random misdemeaners) can unfairly reflect on a whole group. I'm very conscious of this with Bella and know that when people meet her they will form general opinions of the whole DS population. Luckily she is a complete delight and positively delicious . Seriously, I do think about this.

2. Definate environmental link to hygiene. Without wanting to make it sound like a come from a dirty family, I was never trained to wash my hands after going to the loo. I don't know why and suspect my parents don't do it either (they grew up in a village in Europe and I'm guessing water wasn't used on such trivial means). They ofcourse were very clean in other ways. When I was older a nurse friend of mine was grossed out that someone didn't wash their hands after going to the loo - I was mortified that I was one of these people and that it was actually something people did for hygiene reasons. Even when I had a premmie baby in intensive care, my folks had no idea why it was important to wash hands each time they walked in (they still think you get colds from a cold draft). This is the same for other things but in reverse- eg it was drilled in me to do a friendly firm handshake when meeting someone, to look someone in the eye when toasting, etc and I just dont get it when people dont do this. Just different strokes for different upbringings/backgrounds IMO. We do all unfortunately base all our judgements on our own values (I do wash my hands now for the record!).

There is ofcourse the notion that it is a little harder to train someone with the additional bits like our kids but I think you just need to look at someone like Samantha (Cindy Crawford in this forum daughter). She is SO sweet and polite and I could be wrong but I can't imagine her ever picking her nose!

Sorry for the ramble - may be the 3 glasses of wine I've just had! I do enjoy a good questioning topic though!

Hi,
I have found with Jodie that her hygiene is good, but it has taken alot of constant reminding her over the years. There are still times that she forgets things mainly deodorant of morning as she now can dress herself for school, with tailor pants and top with tie, and hates me even trying to help her.
I have never made a big deal out of hygiene, just made it a part of her life so she doesn't know any different.
Yes she can occasionally forgets to clean her teeth of a night but overall she is pretty good.
It will take alot of patience and perserverance but trust me they will get it, another thing I have found is Jodie loves anything repetitive, this is going to sound strange but since I have had to become so organised because of her diabetes and she has a really structure routine it has helped her heaps with alots of things including hygiene
Hope that helps and I haven't ramble on, have a bad headache so hope you all get what I am trying to say

Also forgot to add
Well done on your weight loss

Paige is always wanting to wash her hands. She is always rubbing her hands together when she sees me at the sink I dont think youre being unreasonable at all. Its quite easy to teach any child, DS or not to wash their hands after the toilet or to not pick their nose

None of the older people I know with DS pick their noses (well not that I have seen) and their hygiene seems pretty good. I would say it is all about what they are taught. I have a friend whose kids never washed their hands after the toilet and I just explained to them that in this house everyone washes their hands after the toilet so they do it now. I have no idea what they do at home.
Talitha has just discovered that her thumb fits up her nose pretty well so we are trying to discourage this. Fortunately she has made no attempt to eat it. She will find me gagging if that happens. I just can't understand why someone would want to eat snot although my friend's kid explained that is quite chewy and nice and salty

Tigger wrote:

my friend's kid explained that is quite chewy and nice and salty

That is tttttttoooooooo funny

Well done on the weight loss!!

We have a rule in our house that you wash your hands when you come in - so when they come home from school, wash hands before anything else... if they've been playing outside, wash hands.... etc... my 4yr old still needs reminding to wash his hands after the toilet. I have heard of some ppl don't wash hands after wees but do after poos. Makes sense I guess. BUT I like really clean hands (not quite as bad as Howard Hughes though)

Again, my 4yr old is a nose picker. Argh! My 8yr old used to be at 4 so there's hope I guess Drives us crazy - particularly at the dinner table

Yeah, there's hope for our kids

Cas

Moved to "Questions about Down Syndrome" but if you'd prefer it was in a more private forum, let me know

Cas

No, that's just fine. Unless I am asking a specific health question, I always struggle to know where to put things, so happy for you to move them around to your hearts content!