Curious Observation

[sharlan]

Back in the dark ages when I first started daycare I wasn't too concerned about germs and sharing.

If I took the kids to McDonald's or the movies, I would buy 1 soda and all the kids would drink out of the same straw. I rarely sprayed down my house with Lysol. Wash hands before meals, nah. Share the same bowl of popcorn or chips, sure, why not. If I bought a bottle of soda, I let the kids drink out of it, no big deal. I let kids come sick. Why not, everyone was already exposed to the germs. I never sent a sick child home. Toys were rarely washed. I wasn't a slob housekeeper, but I just never worried about germs or illnesses because the kids rarely got sic.

My kids and daycare kids rarely got sick. Only 3 out of 6 kids got the chicken pox. HFM would be limited to 1 or 2 kids. Tummy bugs or colds, maybe one or two but never the whole group.

Now, I never let kids share cups. If somebody accidently grabs the wrong water cup or one of the littles grabs somebody's cup, I immediately throw it in the sink and get a new one. I frequently bleach the toys. I use antibacterial soaps and paper towels in the bathroom. Hands are always washed. I don't let the kids share any food, everyone gets their own bowl or cup. No putting your hand in the chip bag, etc

Now, if someone gets a cold, it might not go through all of the kids, but a majority will get it. We just had a tummy bug go through 16 people in 5 households. Two weeks ago, I had 3 kids on antibiotics for ear/sinus infections.

I'm half tempted to go back to the dark ages and let everyone share again. (Just kidding)

I personally think all these antibacterial products and over sanitizing are destroying our immune systems.

What do you think?

[Annalee]

Back in the dark ages when I first started daycare I wasn't too concerned about germs and sharing.

If I took the kids to McDonald's or the movies, I would buy 1 soda and all the kids would drink out of the same straw. I rarely sprayed down my house with Lysol. Wash hands before meals, nah. Share the same bowl of popcorn or chips, sure, why not. If I bought a bottle of soda, I let the kids drink out of it, no big deal. I let kids come sick. Why not, everyone was already exposed to the germs. I never sent a sick child home. Toys were rarely washed. I wasn't a slob housekeeper, but I just never worried about germs or illnesses because the kids rarely got sic.

My kids and daycare kids rarely got sick. Only 3 out of 6 kids got the chicken pox. HFM would be limited to 1 or 2 kids. Tummy bugs or colds, maybe one or two but never the whole group.

Now, I never let kids share cups. If somebody accidently grabs the wrong water cup or one of the littles grabs somebody's cup, I immediately throw it in the sink and get a new one. I frequently bleach the toys. I use antibacterial soaps and paper towels in the bathroom. Hands are always washed. I don't let the kids share any food, everyone gets their own bowl or cup. No putting your hand in the chip bag, etc

Now, if someone gets a cold, it might not go through all of the kids, but a majority will get it. We just had a tummy bug go through 16 people in 5 households. Two weeks ago, I had 3 kids on antibiotics for ear/sinus infections.

I'm half tempted to go back to the dark ages and let everyone share again. (Just kidding)

I personally think all these antibacterial products and over sanitizing are destroying our immune systems.

What do you think?

I feel there is some validity in what you are saying....I grew up in a time where we worked in the pepper field only stopping for a bologna or potted meat sandwich for lunch and NO, we did not have germ x or wipes.....we just ate with dirty hands and went back to picking pepper.::

[Country Kids]

""I personally think all these antibacterial products and over sanitizing are destroying our immune systems

It is a proven fact they are! Doctors will tell you not to use them and also not to wash your hands so much.

I rarely see a doctor/nurse wash their hands anymore. They seem to all use the foam soap stuff that you squirt on when entering a room.

I clean, do the regular stuff but not over the top. My house is not dirty by any means but I don't bleach from top to bottom. Quess who's kiddo's are rarely sick, including family. We need germs to fight germs.

[Blackcat31]

I personally think all these antibacterial products and over sanitizing are destroying our immune systems.

What do you think?

MN became the first state that no longer allows the sale of anti-bacterial soaps or anything containing triclosan (main ingredient/chemical in antibacterial products)

http://abc13.com/health/minnesota-bans-chemical-in-anti-bacterial-soap/69627/

[Play Care]

I do think over-sanitizing can be an issue. And we do not have any anti-bac soaps in the house.

That said, basic handwashing (with liquid, non-antibac soap) is the best way to stop the spread of germs. My dc kids already try to get out of hand washing (going too quickly or even lying about it ) And the ones who are the worst offenders are also often my sickest dck's...

[NeedaVaca]

I have also started to seriously follow and learn about toxic chemicals in everyday items. Cosmetics, shampoo, conditioner, lotions, toothpaste, fragrances, laundry detergent...the list goes on and on and these items have awful ingredients that weaken the immune system! Not only bad for our immune system but change our hormones (endocrine disruptors), cancer causing...these types of products are highly unregulated and it's so sad/scary!

I am currently in the process of buying new products to replace my toxic ones. I always put so much thought about what I was putting into my body and only recently realized how bad the products I was putting ON my body were!

What bothered me so much with October being cancer awareness month was seeing all the "pink ribbons" on products that contain the toxic ingredients that CAUSE cancer!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I do think over-sanitizing can be an issue. And we do not have any anti-bac soaps in the house.

That said, basic handwashing (with liquid, non-antibac soap) is the best way to stop the spread of germs. My dc kids already try to get out of hand washing (going too quickly or even lying about it ) And the ones who are the worst offenders are also often my sickest dck's...

Interesting. My constant hand lickers seem to get sick the LEAST here. I am convinced they are constantly building up their immune system since I cannot possibly catch them every single time.

My kiddos eating poorly get sick OFTEN. Since the immune system is 70% gut health, this doesn't surprise me. But, I do think the oversterilization of everything is effecting the children's health as are the antibacterial everythings. I hope they completely eliminate "antibacterial ___" soon. All of it. It needs to go.

[SignMeUp]

Personally I dislike it that doctors don't wash. They use the hand sanitizer, but eww, I don't know where their hands have been :: Wash first, and then use the sanitizer.

One of the theories on why allergy/asthma diagnosis is on the rise is that people in general are keeping our internal environments too clean. Our immune systems need something to fight against, and they used to fight against house dust and some innocuous germs. And, the theory goes, they have to fight something, so they fight peanuts or something else. Well, that's probably the least medical explanation you'll ever read on this, but hopefully you get the idea.

[daycarediva]

I do think over-sanitizing can be an issue. And we do not have any anti-bac soaps in the house.

That said, basic handwashing (with liquid, non-antibac soap) is the best way to stop the spread of germs. My dc kids already try to get out of hand washing (going too quickly or even lying about it ) And the ones who are the worst offenders are also often my sickest dck's...

I see the opposite. My licker/toy sucker is RARELY sick. I wish I could say that to his mother "Jr wouldn't be sick so often if he didn't put EVERYTHING in his mouth...." (he's 4!)

Interesting. My constant hand lickers seem to get sick the LEAST here. I am convinced they are constantly building up their immune system since I cannot possibly catch them every single time.

My kiddos eating poorly get sick OFTEN. Since the immune system is 70% gut health, this doesn't surprise me. But, I do think the oversterilization of everything is effecting the children's health as are the antibacterial everythings. I hope they completely eliminate "antibacterial ___" soon. All of it. It needs to go.

I agree with the eating thing, the more processed the kids overall diet, the more often they are ill. I have a dcg who catches EVERYTHING but she also lives on refined grains/processed food ONLY.

[Blackcat31]

I see the opposite. My licker/toy sucker is RARELY sick. I wish I could say that to his mother "Jr wouldn't be sick so often if he didn't put EVERYTHING in his mouth...." (he's 4!)

Did you mean this differently?

He can't be RARELY sick if he is sick so often.

[Country Kids]

Did you mean this differently?

He can't be RARELY sick if he is sick so often.

I think she means he puts everything in his mouth at four years old yet is rarely sick.

Wishes she could tell mom that he wouldn't be sick so often if he left things out of his mouth (due to age) but he is never sick.

[sharlan]

I'm just tired of sick kids. Maybe I'm just 30 years older and more crotchety.

I had a period a couple of years ago where I was so ready to pull out my hair. We had a cold that went from child A to B to C down the line and right back to A. It was one child at a time, over and over and over again. I bleached, I sprayed, I washed, but couldn't break the cycle. Child A left and the colds stopped the next week.

[Angelsj]

""I personally think all these antibacterial products and over sanitizing are destroying our immune systems

It is a proven fact they are! Doctors will tell you not to use them and also not to wash your hands so much.

I rarely see a doctor/nurse wash their hands anymore. They seem to all use the foam soap stuff that you squirt on when entering a room.

I clean, do the regular stuff but not over the top. My house is not dirty by any means but I don't bleach from top to bottom. Quess who's kiddo's are rarely sick, including family. We need germs to fight germs.

Agreed. I keep things clean, but I don't over sanitize things. Hot water and soap if it is dirty. We wash hands before meals and after potty, but just with regular (not antibacterial) soap. We do pretty well. Very minimal illnesses.

[Play Care]

I see the opposite. My licker/toy sucker is RARELY sick. I wish I could say that to his mother "Jr wouldn't be sick so often if he didn't put EVERYTHING in his mouth...." (he's 4!)
.

I'm really referring to basic hand washing only - after toileting, before eating, etc.
I'm not as "anti-mouthing" as many providers seem to be I'm not hyper viligent about sanitizing door knobs and light switches, etc.

The one 4yo DCG I have who is always sick gives me the hardest time about washing her hands and tries to sneak from the bathroom before washing.

[Bookworm]

I never thought about this but it makes sense. The Infant and Toddler rooms go through lots of mini epidemics through out the year. The last one was HFM and everybody got it, not all at the same time though. The teachers sanitize their rooms twice a day. I'm talking about full blown decontamination. But if you come down on my end, there is rarely a sick child and we just wipe down toys at nap.