Germs are Not for Sharing

Good basic book

When kids start preschool/daycare, they are usually more prone to getting sick. So this was a good way to explain germs. I tend to read this around the start of school & flu season.

Great hardback book for children

My students enjoyed listening to these stories. They were quick to point out what they have noticed about their peers doing unhealthy things.

This book is great. Even though it is hard for toddlers to understand germs because they don't see them, just the fact that they see images of kids washing hands and get to repeat "germs are not for sharing" gives them a mantra that creates a healthy routine. My daughter started washing hands better after having this book. Toddlers like to learn and apply rules, even when they seem reluctant at first. Little by little, I started explaining that people get sick due to germs. On one occasion, she didn't want to wash her hands and I reminded her that if she got sick, the other kids at school could get sick too, and mommy as well. So she went straight back to the sink and washed them. She proudly shows me her clean hands and asks me to "smell check" them. It is adorable. I can always say "germs are not for sharing" and she knows what I mean now.