One of the boys I take care of as a professional foster parent is two years old. Let’s call him Squirt, which means I come in contact with a lot of his bodily fluids.
This grosses my personal children out. Girl child thinks all bodily fluids are disgusting. A few months ago when Squirt was teething he drooled on her a bit. I thought she was going to lose her mind.
I get drooled on all the time. I share food and drinks with Squirt. Girl child makes gagging sounds and Boy child, now studying to be an EMT, stands back wearing gloves.
He works with my organization and whenever he is working at one of the homes with small children he wears gloves almost the entire time. The children don’t wash their hands consistently after using the bathroom, and then they touch everything.
My kids are right, fluids aren’t safe. I should probably be more careful, but the little ones need connection. They already have attachment issues and being treated as a bio-hazard doesn’t help them.
This morning both of my own kids would have lost it. Squirt woke up with dried blood on his face from a bloody nose. I pick him up and, squish, he has leaked out of his diaper. His PJs are soaked and now so are mine. I bathe him, without gloves, and get him dressed before I change my clothes.
But what am I supposed to do? Freak out every time a toddler leaks something onto me? I do use gloves for older kids’ fluids and for poop, ’cause gross, but even though I am aware it’s not safe, there is an illusion of the toddlers not being infectious.
Just so we’re clear, I do wash my hands dozens of times I day; my skin looks like the Crypt Keeper.
What do you think, am I crazy?
Honestly, unless one of the kids is actually suffering from and infection, you’re probably fine. Hand washing with regular soap does the trick for most of the critters on and in our bodies.
I couldn’t do it, though. As a scientist, I processed bear poop and rotten wolf meat, but every time I see a mom eat something her baby was sucking on, I get the wiggins.
I even say the ABC’s in my head to make sure I wash for 30 seconds LOL
Yeah everyone has their own squicks 🙂
Can you imagine if you had used gloves every time one of your personal kids needed a diaper change? My husband often jokes about all the bodily fluids that came in contact with his face from our youngest! He probably ingested some! I don’t think you’re crazy, you are giving Squirt unconditional care. More awesome power to you!
Thanks, and yeah it’s kind of gross to think about how many fluids I’ve come into contact with!
I’m with girl-child! Gross. I remember being at the park when a friends’ little one ran up to me with yogurt all over her hands and face. I think I screamed and practically tipped my chair over in an attempt to get away from her. When she offered up a spoon of yogurt, I may have gagged. At least I politely said, ‘no, thank you.’ I rarely ate something my own child offered up, let along someone elses.
LOL I wish I had seen that. I know other people that are so not into sharing food and drinks. Normally it doesn’t bother me.