"Wash your hands!" is something parents tell their children multiple times a day, but now that the coronavirus has officially been labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, it's more important than ever that everyone is washing their hands frequently and properly.  Since it's often difficult to monitor whether a child is actually washing their hands when they say they are or if they're washing them for long enough, one teacher came up with a brilliant hack to not only make sure her students were lathering up but also to reward them for it.

Shauna Woods is a third-grade teacher at Hallsville Schools in Hallsville, Missouri whose handwashing hack for her students recently went viral. She shared on her classroom's Facebook page that her students would be getting stamps on their hands that read "Mrs.Wood" at the start of each day. "We are doing our best in room 550 to keep the germs away. Students got stamps on their hands this morning. If it’s gone by the end of the day from washing their hands, they get a prize. We are trying," she wrote.

"We always experience a spike in illness and absentees this time of year due to different viruses and the common cold," Woods explained to Good Morning America. "It's a fact of life that many kids are in close corners, interacting with one another all day. They share many things, including germs."

Woods came up with the idea after noticing the stamp on her desk, and told the news station that her students "were sold when I told them prizes were involved."

Each morning since then, they get their stamp and go about their day," Woods explained how her stamp tactic works. "I check for their stamp at the end of the day and if it's faded or gone, they get their prize."

The third-grade teacher stated that while the classroom has a sink with soap as well as hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes for use at all times, it can sometimes be hard for kids to prioritize handwashing, and this stamp system has really helped. "Let's be honest, some student's biggest worry is if they'll get to recess on time," Woods said. "Providing a visual reminder and incentive has boosted their hygiene regiment. I even joined in on the fun and put a stamp on my hand to be their positive role model."

This is such a great yet simple idea to help motivate these children to wash their hands often and properly. No matter how often you tell a child to wash their hands they sometimes need a little incentive to do it often and properly.

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