I had to take Jasper to the doctor yesterday. He was rubbing his ear all morning and moaning “ooouuuuch”. It turns out his right ear is so infected that it’s almost hemorraging. I don’t exactly know what that means, but I envision an explsion of goo and pus flying out of his ear like something you’d see on a cartoon.
I don’t recall the last time I had to take a child to the doctor.* My kids are remarkably hardy. Nobody gets sick. We have the sniffles from time to time, but that’s about it. I know I’m completely jinxing myself, but we have missed out on that throw-uppy bug that’s gone around the last few years.
Do you want to know why we stay so healthy and well? It’s possible that they inherited their sturdy constitutions from me. But more likely it’s because we don’t wash our hands. I’m a stickler about washing after going to the bathroom, because that can be disgusting. But as far as washing before dinner? Eh, if they’ve been playing outside all day sometimes I’ll make them do it. I don’t really care. Wash, don’t wash, whatever. I simply think all this hand-washing is type-A nonsense. I know what doctors say: Wash, wash, wash. But I’m not a germ freak. That’s not to say that I don’t believe in germs or illness. I have bookmarked the site for Pandemic updates. Really. (Check it out here.)
I find myself really annoyed by germaphobes. I have one friend in particular who will not let her husband or children into the house until they’ve scrubbed down. And yet her children get influenza each year (Not the barfy kind–the kind that is reported to the county services); and have strep regularly; and miss school almost once a week because they are so sickly. My mother-in-law is also a sickly person who would have her blood replaced with Purell if she could.
I have to look at the evidence, folks. And the evidence in front of my face says that my kids are never sick. With six children, we are constantly bombarded with germs, yet we don’t catch anything. The kids have obviously developed some amazing germ resistance. Hopefully they aren’t like Typhoid Mary or those explorers who came to America and decimated the natives with smallpox. If that’s how it works, and your kids happen to be around my kids, then I guess you’ll just have to make yours, ahem, wash their hands. Or not.
*for something illness-related. We’ve had immunizations, duh. And Ada fell on the tile floor during the summer and required a blob of super-glue on her chin. But we haven’t been sick since we moved to Texas.
That’s it!
From now on we wallow in filth!
I just might have to invite my husband to read this. He is a germaphobe and I’m totally not, which has caused some strife over the years. But maybe I’ll wait because I’m sick right now and he’s not!
I said the same thing notsolongago about our health since moving to MN. In the last week, I’ve had a fever of 100, Spencer (a 10 year old) had an ear infection, I broke my toe, and Olivia threw up in the car this morning during carpool.
Go figure.
I am new here! What a great blog 🙂
Amen! I have hand sanitizer but have used it twice?…. My daughter (16 months) is healthy and fine. Once in church she dropped raisins on the floor, she grabbed them and ate them, well what can you do, nothing so I just brushed it off. This guy looked at me and asked how many kids I had, “just one” and he was completely aw struck that I wasn’t freaking out. I figured I survived before lysol wipes and anti-bacterial soap, she will too.
Amen!
I also believe that children who pick their noses and eat it (I know, totally gross) are healthier as well. My Emma was the hardiest little girl during those bugger eating years.
I wrote Congressman Jim Matheson and he said pretty much the same, but then hearing it has been officially postponed for a year while they specify the who, what, where, when and how, was music to my ears. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. And thanks for responding 🙂
I am not a germophobe either, but my kids get sick all the time. I blame it on the gym. And their huge tonsils. They are resevoirs for disease if you ask me.
dani’s comment??
anyway, i loved this post! i am totally not a germaphobe and me and my kids are rarely sick (except for right now! there is a nasty bug going around) but rarely do i have to worry about this! i know it is because i don’t stress the hand washing (except after bathroom use) all the time. we have the 30 second rule (actually it is an all the time rule) my gabe will eat anything he finds on the floor and he is healthier for it! i don’t worry about coughing kids, i just figure that eventually my kids will get sick or they won’t and most of the time they don’t!
my hubby on the other hand is a germaphobe and is always getting something. i wish that he could see that he needs to back off the sanitizers! great post! glad that we think alike 🙂
Dani and I were having a convo over at her blog and she was just replying. She’s not a total ADD nutjob!
Gee, Jennie, you sure attach cheery links to your blogs! (Epicenter.com, Pandemic.com) I think I’ll go jump off a cliff and get it over with.
Oh, girl! Are you ever asking for it with that germier-than-thou talk! Hubris! In the next month all your family will come down with the creeping, slimy grippe!
And that will be right during my visit, too. Darn it!
we rarely get sick either– with 6 kids I just can’t get worried when they all drink from the same cup.