Too much exposure to germs - a good thing? - Page 2

[organicviolin]

definitely seems like your LO needs some immune support if she gets ill so easily.  We play around and with kids who have colds etc and we rarely if ever get ill....

[Xavismom]

I agree with PP it sounds like her immune system could use some ramping up =)

DS (almost 2) gets really dirty, eats mud and bugs, loves being barefoot outside, especially if its wet or muddy, eats stuff off the floor that he drops, etc etc. We are a chemical free house, so we dont use anything like hand sanitizers. I will wipe his hands down when they are grubby or stick, but thats about it.

My DH and I believe nutrition is the best medicine. We all drink freshly made juice daily. Lots of greens, vitamins, even raw garlic. DS loves it. He also gets a vit D supplement to help heal some cavities, so that is supporting his immune system as well, and he loves Kefir, so he gets a lot of probiotics. He has been sick for less than 48 hours in his whole life, and is frequently around other sick adults/children. Sometimes I actually encourage him to play with a child I know is sick, because I think he needs that exposure to further build up his immunity. HTH =)

[Blessed1]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom 

So picture this - you send your LO into a room and she WILL come back sick (no question) - will you deliberately make her sick?

Nope, I would definitely pass on the play date, especially because my baby girl is still very oral (16months).  

My little one plays in mud, sand and water almost daily (she has a water/sand table, sand box and kiddie pool in the yard and a readily available mud puddle in the neighbors yard) and we go to the beach every week (she occasionally still eats sand) and hike the local mountains and streams twice a month (she loves to sit and play in the mud next to the streams). She loves to be outside and get dirty.  We had a quick rain storm today that lasted 10 minutes and I initiated that she go out and play in the rain and puddles..lol. We were both barefoot and we didn't have jackets on.  

However, when it comes to sicky germs, I tend to stay away and avoid sick kids if we can.  I take her to the playground and play dates weekly and she is around kids all the time.  I think her gymnastics and library classes are the germiest places but I just make sure to wash her hands immediately after the classes are over. If we are at a playground, I spray her hands with some Cleanwell hand sanitizer and do a good wash when we get home.  

When we go to a theme park (she touches hand rails and other grimy things), I wash her hands but usually spray her hands randomly throughout the day.  

I often find my self cringing when I see a kid sneeze or cough all over a toy I know my LO will be handling next. lol. I usually try to redirect her to another area.  

My LO has not been sick YET not even a sniffle or a cough...maybe it's because she is still breastfed, maybe it's the probiotics I give her or maybe it's because I take a little extra effort to wash/sanitize her hands in germy places. However, I do feel that she is getting exposed to germs and building up an immunity from being around other children.

Balance is key.  I am sure you will find a healthy balance that works for you! :)

[Imakcerka]

Alright, DH was a sick kid.  Like all scheduled events he would get strep or any other nasty ailment before holidays and on every other day you can imagine.  Ear infections were a norm for him.  And since I never get sick he entrusted me with keeping their immune systems intact.

Animals

Dirt

Grass

soap only

fresh air

windows always open

play away with whom ever!

Both girls have been through 4 bouts of strep and have never gotten it.  NEVER!  They were with their Daycare provider and her kids through their 1st, 2nd and 3rd bout of strep.  She kept them anyway since she was getting over it and because they didn't get squat.  Now of course I eventually got strep and my doctor told me my kids were little carriers but didn't appear to pick up anything but a snotty nose.  So I had strep for the first time at 27. 

However some people are just more apt to get sick no matter what.  DH hasn't been sick in years.  So maybe he's got an awesome immune system now.  Who knows.  But don't shy away from germs,. that ruins the fun!

[quantumleap]

I would also go to the playdate. And my dd would have about a 50/50 chance of getting sick. Actually, this year, she seems a lot more "resistant", but last year (24months-ish), she seemed to catch every other thing that was going around. It was a pain, because she felt bad, and because we had to deal with frequent night wakings due to coughing, discomfort, etc. BUT, I really think that's just part of being a child, and I think it's good for kids to learn how to fight these things off. 

We don't avoid people unless they have a gastric issue, mostly because I can NOT deal with the results!  

I did finally figure out a few things - elderberry, vit c and probiotics are awesome, and we always wash hands when we get home. Just with regular soap and water, but we do wash hands. 

I heard an interview with the author of "The Dirt on Clean" yesterday, and now I'm super interested to hunt down a copy. It sounds like something that might add a bit to this discussion.

[mkksmom]

I'd say something like, "We'll have to get the kids together when your LO is feeling well." I do play dates, library groups and other public places. I don't worry too much about sand or dirt. I might use a baby wipe to clean off her hands, and I definitely take her into the bathroom and wash her hands before we eat when we are out and about. But my LO has a big sister who gets her sick, so it doesn't really matter, LOL. I don't think I'd worry about her if she gets sick after a play date with a sick kid. Until they've already had a lot of colds, they do pick them up easily. That's why they say that kids will go through a phase where they have a ton of colds. The thing I found starting my older dd in pre-k at age 4 was that she was over the colds more quickly and it's easier when they are older.