Disgusting! I May Never Take My Kids To The Park Again!

This week I've been on the sick kid topic quite a bit... so I thought I would just finish off the week and talk about germs.  I watched this video on Parents TV and I've got to tell you, OMG, I think ignorance may just be bliss!

Just to share the fun, I thought I would give you some of the highlights: 

• Did you know that the playground has way more bacteria than a public bathroom? Makes sense since at least the public bathroom does get cleaned but the playground never does. 
• And the sandbox?  Well, guess squirrels and birds amongst other outdoor animals use that as their public bathroom. 
• Apparently water fountains are dirtier than a public toilet seat - so even if your kids don't put their mouth on it, the water still passes by the opening of the fountain (even if you let the water run for a few seconds first). 
• Grocery carts are also a germ fest - think about the person who touches the raw meat package that may be dripping on the bottom... well, hands are going back on the handles to push the cart. Yuck.
• How about this one - the keyboard and mouse on school computers - they're dirtier than a door knob!  They supposedly never get cleaned.
• And just a few more before I completely gross you out... public high chairs (they may get wiped, but probably not sanitized), elevator buttons, phones, your kitchen sink, wet laundry (what??? who knew), ATM machines and the remote control.  I think I'll stop there or we're all going to end up with some sort of obsessive compulsive disorder!

The unfortunate part is that the "tip" list is very short here on how to avoid all the germs:  wash or sanitize your hands as much as possible and don't put your hands near your mouth, nose or eyes.  Yup, that's about it.  Unless you want to lock yourself away somewhere.  And that doesn't really work for your kids.  I did find some generic tips on eHow for battling germs in the classroom, but not sure how helpful they really will be.  With younger children, it's really about the battle of keeping their hands out of their mouths.  If I could count the times I've told my kids not to put their hands in their mouths, I'd most certainly be a millionaire by now.  With so many colds, coughs and the flu going around right now, it's bound to hit the majority of households.  So I leave you with this video on cold and flu treatment and prevention tips from Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford...  and here's to staying well!  Have a good weekend.