When The Boy was six months old and under, anything he dropped whilst chewing was immediately and irrevocably verboten.
It would be recalled by one of us; tossed into boiling water for at least two steady minutes, and then dosed liberally with a baby-safe degerming product before tentatively being resubmitted for The Boy's enjoyment. He was then watched carefully for the next three days for signs of measles, mumps, and/or scurvy.
But as he got a bit older and didn't die from some rare and virulent disease transmitted through a dirty soother we relaxed a little bit. Actually, we became rather careless about the whole situation. If he dropped his soother, we would rinse it off under a tap for a couple of seconds. If no tap was available, the co-Director or I would pop it in our own mouths for a few seconds. At least, then The Boy was getting family bacteria. Certainly better than strange bacteria.
But as we've aged as parents, I've noticed, for example, that we've become less concerned about our children catching other germs than we are about transmitting them to other people.
So now, if Boy2 drops his soother in mixed company, we're more likely to rinse him off under a tap. When he picks up the dog's toys at his grandmothers' house, we watch the dog closely for signs of infection upon their return.
Really, we're just concerned about the welfare of others. Apparently, our children grow fast enough that if they don't catch a childhood disease or two to stunt their growth, they will, in fact, become the next army to invade France.
I mean, we should harbour dreams for our children, right? But I'm concerned that France might not be a good place for them.
3 comments:
Recent research has shown that the more allergens, bacteria and viruses a child is exposed to in their early years, the healthier they will be over a lifetime. We do our kids a dis-service by disinfecting everything and using anti-bacterial cleaning products. That's my excuse, anyhow, for not bleaching the floor every day anymore.
...Pam
exactly.
Well, France may be a good starter country, but then you have to deal with the fact that you really aren't encouraging your children to be creative. I mean, come on, who hasn't invaded France? If they really want to make there mark in the world that way, you should be encouraging them to break away from the mainstream herd and strike out in their own unique direction. Maybe encourage them to invade someplace unique, like Germany...
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