hand towels?

[mushpea]

all my mindees have their own hand towels, well flannels, for drying their hands on, they hang on pegs with their names on so they know whos is who, up till now I have had no problem with the children using their own towels. the last week though the 5yrold seems to think its funny to dry her hands on a different towel each time and I caught her wiping her mouth on my towel friday, I would love to take all the towels out and tell them that they have to ask for their towels when they have dried their hands so I know shes only using hers but when I have 2 babies and 3 others to deal with I dont think thats a practical soloution,, I then thought of paper towels but I'm guessing they will work out expensive so any ideas on how to deal with this one? at snack times I can watch her and make sure she uses her own towel only but I cant really do this when shes using the toilet as I feel its a privacy issue not just with me watching her but with the older boys seeing her on the toilet if the doors open.
so any ideas on how I can stop her from touching everyones towels?

[FussyElmo]

Mine don't have their own towels.

I have two boxes one for clean and one for dirty face cloths. For 84p your get 4 in asda.no more that's my towel etc. Wash them with babys blanket but I do have enough for 3 days.

[samb]

I would remind her that everyone must use their own towels so that they don't spread germs to other people and that by using someone elses towel she might get poorly - maybe she doesn't see the point?

If she does understand and thinks she is just being funny, I would talk to the group of children at dinner or something and just say that you have noticed that not everyone is using their own towel and that you are trusting them all to be grown up enough to use their own. If you noticer her doing it again, then say that it is a shame that she is not chosing to be grown up enough to use her own towel and you will put it away and she will have to be given her towel each time she uses it. My older ones really don't like to be thought of as less grown up then a younger one and that would work for most.

[bunyip]

Hi Mushpea.

The only thing I can suggest is to keep all the towels outside the washroom for a while and make sure each child only takes their own in there with them - at least until they all can be sure of doing it right again.

i suppose you could make the 5yo use kitchen roll until she gets the message, but that may hint at singling her out for different treatment. Different people will feel differently about this I'm sure. :huh:

In fact I know CMs vary widely over this issue in theory and practice. I for one have never come across anyone suffering from a towel-related illness.

Our games teacher used to flick us with a wet towel if we didn't go entirely under the horrid cold showers, but that's something entirely different. :o

[sarak31]

I don't have separate towels for every child. I used to but had same problem with children using any old towel and them being strewn all over the floor despite the lovely pegs. I now have one clean towel every morning in the toilet plus a box of hand flannels in the kitchen for quick clean ups that then go in the washing bin after use (I also use them for children with colds etc). Ofsted were happy with that and I find it all works for me.

[mum24]

I use kitchen roll, on a dispenser, in the toilet, I only buy the cheapest and find that it works for me, I take the cost off as expenses. I use the cheap ones just in case lo's forget and put it down the loo instead of in the bin, the cheap stuff just disintegrates and so doesn't block the loo.
In the kitchen I have kitchen towel again to dry my hands, but I have cheap flannels for the children to clean their faces and hands, each one used once,and then put in the wash.
I do know other cm's though who just use one clean towel each day, and as far as I am aware Ofsted have not said anything.

[Chimps Childminding]

I don't have separate towels!! I have a basket of Ikea flannels. The children use one (or 2 or 3 :rolleyes:) to dry their hands and then pop them in a bin for washing at the end of the day!