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Petting Zoos and Your Child's Health
Is It Safe to Take Children to Pet the Animals?
By Kathleen Meister
"Hand washing is the number one way to prevent illness," says Melanie Pien, owner of Pied Piper Pony Rides, a company that supplies pony rides and petting zoos for birthday parties and other special events in Fairfield County, Conn. and Westchester County, N.Y. Whenever Pien arranges a party, she puts a clause in the contract asking the client to make hand washing facilities available for the children after they come in contact with the animals and before they go on to any other activity. She also enforces hand washing rules for her own two children when they're around her animals.
| Hand Washing 101 Does your child know how to wash her hands properly? The best way to wash hands, according to the Department of Public Health of Seattle and King County, Wash., is to wet your hands with warm water. Use soap. Rub your hands briskly together to loosen any dirt and germs. Take 20 seconds or more to do a thorough job. Pay special attention to your fingernails where germs can hide. Rinse your hands under clean warm water. Dry your hands on a paper towel or with an air dryer. If your child cannot tell time, you may want to teach her to sing a little tune, such as "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," while she washes her hands. It takes about 20 seconds to sing one of these tunes. |
"When my kids are done at the barn, they are not allowed to do anything until they wash with soap and water," Pien says. "And I am constantly reminding them around thebarn not to touch their faces or put their hands near their mouths."