DS likes to pick up garbage at the park - should I let him?

[blumooned]

Whenever DS sees garbage on the ground at the park, he picks it up.  At first, I tried to discourage it by telling him to leave it there or put it back.  Then I realized that that may be the wrong message to send - if he picks it up & puts it back, he's re-littering, right?  So, I said, OK, let's go throw it in the garbage can.  Now, he wants to throw away all the garbage he finds.  Great, right, for the environment & keeping the parks clean.  But, what about the sanitary issue?  I'm pretty grossed out to see him picking up other people's trash.  We're just playing at the park, so he's bare-handed.  Should I wash his hands every time he does it?  With a baby wipe, I guess?  I'm not trekking to the restroom every time!

Anyone else experience this?  What would you do?

[Chloe'sMama]

What a wonderful boy!  

What about getting him a special pair of gloves and a bag?  That way he can have special 'park clean up' time and then you play after that?  

[Asiago]

My son does the same thing. We go back and forth to the trash can at the park. If it is something gross, such as a used Band-Aid, I discourage him from picking it up. Before we leave the park we usually wash his hands anyway but I also carry those herbal/Thyme wipes with me if a wipe is needed. Your son and mine would likely get along well 

[marsupial-mom]

This is so cute.

I like the idea of giving him gloves to wear and having some park time be "trash pick-up time."

You know, there are often community events where people gather together to pick up trash in parks. Your local parks and rec department can probably tell you about it. Maybe you could attend one of those and get some other ideas on how to do it in a sanitary way. And your LO might even make some earth-friendly friends :)

[sagesmothertree]

Our son did the same thing for awhile. My husband works at a hospital and is very paranoid about germs (rightfully so, probably...) So our son was very discouraged from doing this.  I think with our second child, I might allow some "litter clean up time" with a bag, gloves/wipes and sanitizer on hand.  It's an excellent opportunity to teach environmental stewardship but difficult when your LO doesn't differentiate between "probably clean trash" and trash you just don't touch, period.

[blumooned]

OK - I thought I had replied to this thread - sorry!  Thank you all for the replies! 

This actually hasn't happened since I last posted b/c we've been going to the park with friends & I guess he's been more distracted by them.  I do think I will let him continue to pick up trash if he wants.  I won't discourage it.  I think that may be worse (for him & for the environment!).  I will make sure we always have wipes with us to clean his hands, especially before he eats something!!

[D_McG]

I don't let my kids pick up trash.