Toddlers, blech

[Ratatosk]

I always wipe down the grocery cart handles, wash my hands and Max's off when we get back into the car after being in the store, before eating, when we come in from play outside, etc.

So I'm driving Max home from preschool last night and he's telling me about taking a walk and going to the park. And his teacher lifted him up on the tire (I think it's a tire swing if they went to the park near our house), that he's was thirsty and asked for a drink of water, which they gave him... and then he says something about finding bubble gum. Try to pump him for info, but what can I do really? Wash his mouth out with soap, listerine, 2-3 hours after the fact.

So I'm doing his night treatment a few hours later and he's telling his dad about his day and brings up the bubble gum. And it sounds like, yes, he'd found some ABC gum. I kinda react, with an ewww! To which my husband says, don't make a big deal about it, there's nothing you can do, plus you're giving him attention. I turn to look at my adorable little boy who now has his finger up his nose and before I can react -- finger out of nose and in my mouth and he gleefully yells --- Boogers! Argh!

So, any suggestions on handling what do do when your child picks something nasty up of the ground and sticks it into his or her mouth. I'm usually pretty vigilant, but a couple of times I've caught him chewing on sticks, things he's dropped on the ground. Or do I just suck it up and let him be a kid.

Liza -- who's sister once chewed gum she found ABC gum under the tonsilectomy display at the mayo clinic museum

 

[JazzysMom]

Gagggggggg.............if you are there you can only do the usual. "No, no PEOPLE dont put _____________ in their mouths". I learned with Jazmine that you cant say __________ is not for eating because as she learned about animals etc some things are eaten. Just not by us LOL! If you arent there then just remind him & pray!

 

[Emily65Roses]

Something like ABC gum is a bit gross, even in my opinion. As far as sticks and such, not a big deal. If we could measure the amount of dirt every child eats by the time they're adults, I'm sure we'd be disgustingly surprised. Dirt isn't really a problem. I'd be far more worried about stuff that has been in contact with <i>people</i> (like gum, among other things) than animals and nature.

 

[Jane]

Its hard to be a vigilant parent without causing the kids to become neurotic. My husband and I have always been cautious about germs but not overly cautious. My older son (who has anxiety issues anyways) picked up on our concerns and got paranoid.

for example: we keep everything labeled so that each boy has his own food or drink. If Josh doesn't see us open a bottle and put his name on it or even suspects that someone else drank out of his drink, he won't touch it. (This doesn't go over big when we spend $5 on a smoothie drink and then he won't drink it because he fears contamination from a family member.)<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

Kids gotta be kids. They do gross stuff. Make sure they know its gross but don't freak out about it.

 

[welshgirl]

oh!!! jane you sound just like me and my youngest son.he's watched me be obsessive over the years and now he is the same,yikes!!!! living with 3 males i always wipe the toilet seat before i will use the loo , now joe does it!!! if he doesn't finish a drink within half an hr of opening it he won't finish it!!!! he will only eat cereals if the box has only been open a few days!!! like your son he thinks his own family is riddled with germs. oh what have i done? <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">on the flip side he doesn't care what state he gets into when he's out playing. we all have idiosyncrasies, don't we???????<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JRPandTJP]

we will never know where they get something (illness, bacteria ect) or why. it just is and we can't do too much about it. i try to just let it be and wash hands well and frequently without bringing to much attention to why.

again I give you Ben the mud magnet in case you didn't catch these before (plus I am excited I finally figured out how to upload a photo).

Jody

 

[welshgirl]

lovely pics and that is my next mission (to put pics on this site. don't hold your breath though!!!!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0">)

 

[JazzysMom]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>JRPandTJP</b></i>

we will never know where they get something (illness, bacteria ect) or why. it just is and we can't do too much about it. i try to just let it be and wash hands well and frequently without bringing to much attention to why.



again I give you Ben the mud magnet in case you didn't catch these before (plus I am excited I finally figured out how to upload a photo).



Jody</end quote></div>


When we first moved into our home, the first spring rain made a mudbath in the backyard with a swimming pool (hole where a huge rock was) & all. Jazmine proceded to stick her beautiful head of curls into it & swish it around. I didnt freak out because she was having a ball, but she got stripped & hosed down before ever coming into the house. Never got pics of it, but I think ever little curl held a ton of mud!

 

[Ratatosk]

I keep watching pictures on the news of people walking, swimming thru floodwaters on the east coast, including a newscaster standing in shorts and barefeet giving a report. Ewww! Years ago we had a huge downpour and the neighbor kids were swimming in the water -- my husband walked up to a kids father and said -- you see that manhole cover bubbling over there. Yeah, that's infiltration from the sanitary sewer. I think those poor kids got a bleach bath by their mom that night.

 

[anonymous]

I have to say one of my earliest memories is taking a straw from our kitchen and going into the back yard and sticking the straw in the mudd and sucking. Yep, I sucked mudd through a straw. Charming. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
<br>
Kids...ewwww is right. yet, we survive it.
<br>
littledebbie not logged in @wk
<br>
oh and I was not quite 5 I don't think and it tasted Bad <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif" border="0">. Just in case anyone was curious. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[CFTwins]

Thanks for the question Liza and all of the funny stories! You made a crappy day better -- I took our daughter for allergy testing today and in addition to being allergic to milk, she's also allergic to eggs, peanuts and cats. And she was already picky..... I was feeling so rotten about it. But the laugher - espeically the boogers and mud through the straw reminded me that there is more to my little sweet girl than allergies and CF.

... that doesn't mean I want her boogers in my mouth ; )

 

[anonymous]

I just had to comment on the reference to a "bleach bath". Did you know that some drs are actually doing this? THey say to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bleach to a tub of warm water and soak the kid... Ok, granted it's for eczema (to prevent it from becoming infected), not "kid" germs but, hey, kills two birds with one stone, right?<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"> Now if we can just figure out how to wash their mouths out with bleach...

Anon Mom of 3 who really won't stick her kid in a bleach bath

 

[Ratatosk]

Yeah, when I yelled Ugh, he stuck a booger in my mouth. Max laughed and my husband calmly looked at me and said, "Yes. He does that". Ewww! L

 

[cearalaith]

Oh, but littledebbie, your big sister once demanded to go outside
on a bright sunny day just so she could take a humongous bite of
dirt, no straw middleman in the way!  (Ask your mother, it's
one of her favorite stories.)<br>
<br>
Liza, as a mom of three kids (7, 4, 1) I finally realized that
there's only so much you can do.  Tell them that certain
things are gross and unacceptable, discourage them as much as you
can, but also accept that they <i>are</i> going to find gross
things that <i>will</i> go into their mouths and there's just not
much you can do about it, and that's life.  <br>
<br>
On the bright side, researchers are finding that a certain
amount of exposure to germs and nasty stuff when we're little is
essential to the proper development of our immune systems.
 Kids who are raised in near-sterile environments tend to hit
school (or other public places) and get really sick from things
that hardly faze their peers, because they never developed the
necessary antibodies to fight them off.  <br>
<br>
So it's kind of a strange balancing act you have to do.
 Personally, I think you obviously shouldn't let them pick up
abandoned gum (OR put their boogers in your mouth!), but if they
manage to sneak something past you, don't freak too badly.
 There's only so much any person can do, and it sounds like
you're not doing too badly at all.