Friday, March 10, 2006

Germs

How do you feel about germs?

Do they scare you?

Do they make you feel uneasy and unclean?

They don't bother me at all. I am not scared of little microscopic organisms, even though they have the power to bend me over the toilet. My germs are tougher than your germs, and more importantly, my kids germs are tougher than your kids germs.

I think children should be exposed to germs. Yes, I think my kids, and yours, should be exposed to germs. How else can they build up their defense system. If you don't exercise your immune system how do you keep it strong? In this antiseptic world, where mom's follow their kids around with a disinfecting wipe for this, that and the other thing, where is an immune system going to face a challenge?

We have two dogs and three kids, the place is always picked up, but it is never sterilized. They say children raised with pets are sick less than kids without pets. You know why? Animals are dirty, they track in all kinds of stuff and give germs all kinds of good stuff to eat. Children raised with animals start fighting off the germs their first day home.

Guess what? Kids who grow up in super sterile environments get sick too. You can't avoid it. Wiping down every surface in the house with your Lysol and Clorox is not going to stop Jr from catching a cold. I have witnessed Mom's wiping down the table with one of those wipes and then placing the kids food down. What kind of unnatural chemicals are you exposing your bumpkin too? Whatever chemicals they are, they must be worse than the seven germs that were there. How about a little soap and water, not strong enough for you?

Eventually your children are going to come into contact with germs. For me, some one who is not afraid, the scariest place is the waiting room at the pediatricians. Makes me shudder just thinking about what lives amongst the pages of "The Pokey Little Puppy". Next on my list is Chucky Cheese, Yuck. How about pre-school, does everybody remember to wash their hands when they are done?

I say give your children a fighting chance and expose them to some germs.

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, hi Peter!
I'm that Turn into Stone guy's wife. Anyway,I soo agree with you on this one. Those moms with the wipes are too much. I've seen research on how 'dirty' kids are healthier. Plus, those wipe things are really expensive, I'd be too cheap for that anyway. From a microbiology perspective, (which I totally don't have since I'm a humanities person, but at least I read) there aren't these cute little boundaries where the gross molucules are relegated to. There is literally fecal material and snot and who knows what all over the place at all times. We all eat and drink and smear it all around all the time, all day long, and it's all pretty much harmless in the long run.

5:53 PM EST  
Blogger Undercover Angel said...

It's true. Exposure is the only way to gain ammunity. If you want to be ammune to the flu, you go out and get a flu shot, and I believe the same is true about germs. Well, you can't go out and get a germ shot (ewwww!), but you know what I mean.

I remember seeing on a documentary not long ago, that the children who are not exposed to germs, are the ones who have the worst allergy and asthma problems.

4:34 PM EST  
Blogger tammy said...

I agree with you. I have actually seen my kids pick things up off the floor & eat them. And I watched without too much concern. And my kids are very rarely sick!

6:24 PM EST  

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