Judgmental Friday...

I try (a little bit everyday) to be less judgmental of people especially other parents. I know some people give me the side-eye because my daughter is nearly 2.5 and has never had juice or because we don't let her eat junk food. I don't mind it so much because I give parents who let their toddlers drink soda and have a steady diet of fast and canned food the side-eye too. I guess it goes both ways.

Today, I overheard a woman talking to her friend about how often she bathes her son and daughter. From what I gathered, the son is nearly 3 and the daughter is 4. Said woman said she bathes her children every other day and in the morning. It took everything out of me not to scream, "ewwwww!"

Not bathing children of that age everyday before bedtime is DISGUSTING and judging from the way her son looked (dirt in his toenails and fingernails) bathing him every other day isn't okay. I bathe my daughter everyday before bedtime. Children and adults alike sleep better after a nice warm bath or shower especially in this summer heat! You get to have some quiet time and remove the germs and gunk of the day off of your body.

A bath every other day may work in infancy but not for active toddlers! My daughter refuses to keep shoes or slippers on her feet while she's playing in our home. At the end of the day, the bottom of her feet are dirty. I use a diaper wipe to clean them off BEFORE she gets into the bath tub. Her feet also get wiped off before she's put down for a nap. Excessive? Nope! I don't get into my bed with dirty feet so why would I let my child? Good hygiene, just like good manners should start when a child is young!

After children wipe their noses, put their fingers in their mouths, get crayon markings on their fingers and all of the other things little ones do while they are playing, a warm bath at night is a necessity.

I know some people are under the impression that exposure to dirt and germs boosts your immune system but I call bull! I've even spoken to my daughter's pediatrician about this and she thinks it's silly. I don't believe me or my daughter need to be exposed to any more germs than we are already exposed to in our day to day living. We ride the New York City subway system and buses a few times a week. If that isn't germ exposure to the max then I don't know what is. But exposure to germs and cleanliness are too different things. A man coughs on the street without covering his nasty mouth and we're exposed to germs. We're exposed to millions of germs when we walk out of our homes. What about the germs that exist in our homes?!

Not washing your hands after you use the toilet and not bathing your child in the evening after a long, hot day of sweat and play is just plain old NASTY!

Some people think this makes me germ-phobic. I'm not afraid of germs but I don't want unnecessary contact with people who are nasty. My sister in law once made a seafood salad. Instead of using a spoon to mix the cubes of cheese, she used her hands. I wouldn't touch that salad with a ten foot pole and she gave me a look when I asked her if she wanted me to hand her a spoon. Maybe that's why she doesn't like me...

I don't want to be coughed on, exposed to your mouth saliva when you yawn and don't cover your mouth and I don't want you touching my daughter's fingers or face especially after you've finished wiping your vagina or holding your penis to urinate and didn't bother to wash your hands afterward!

When my husband, daughter and I come home we take off our shoes and then wash our hands. It's what we were taught as children and it's something we both practice today.

I truly feel bad for a child who's walking around stinky and dirty until the next morning because his mother and/or father hasn't bothered to make sure he's clean!

To the parents who don't bathe their children everyday, I say, "SHAME ON YOU!"

Good night.