Happy-go-yucky

I wrote my name on the sheet of paper along with my children’s names and the time. With that stroke of the pen, my twin toddlers were signed into childcare at the gym, which meant that I would be child-free for the next hour. Smiling, I pondered how I would spend my new-found free-time and wondered, should I read my magazine on the treadmill or bicycle today?

My musing was interrupted when I spotted a large foreboding sign: 

“Your child has been exposed to Strep Throat, Conjunctivitis, and the Flu.”

Ugh! Gross! But those are the only diseases they know about. I can only imagine how many others are lurking around this germ-infested play area.

My initial instinct was to immediately grab both of my kids and run to the nearest contamination center like the one in the movie Silkwood. But I really wanted to read my magazine (and sort of workout), and let’s face it, my kids have been touching and tasting every toy in this room for the past two years. Somehow they managed to survive.

With my new knowledge of viruses swimming around the room, I closely looked at the carriers… I mean children. At least 30 of them occupied the area blissfully unaware of the germs teeming on every surface they touched. One child was placing every object he came across directly into his mouth, only increasing the germ-spreading and his own exposure. I thought of my 10th-grade science teacher with his petri dish testing bacteria samples from the sink and door handles. He would have a field day with this place. I left the room and began my workout.

While using the treadmill, I thought of how far I’ve come with my fear of germs. Being a mom causes you to be an unwilling participant in exposure therapy. When my twins were babies, I felt like I had some control over preventing them from encountering germs. When handing them an object, I made sure it was clean, knowing it was going right into their mouth. Once they became mobile, things became a little more challenging, especially with keeping track of who put what in their mouth. 

And then once they could move around, they were touching, eating and sharing everything they came in contact with. If it fell on the floor, they ate it. If it fell on the street they ate it.  If it fell in the garbage they ate it.

The first year of their life, they constantly had a cold but never a serious illness. By the second year, they hardly ever got sick. I started to wonder, are they immune to germs since they’d exposed themselves to so many? It was almost as if they developed a vaccine.

I still have my moments though when the fear of germs overwhelms me. I’ll admit it. I am not ready to give up my anti-bacteria wipes yet.