Germs, Germs, Germs

Well, fall is here and cold season is just around the corner.  As a retired Kindee teacher, let me tell you I believe I have seen a ton of germs.  So what does one do about it?  Do we sterilize our environment so, that we live in a bubble?  Do we alter what we do or enjoy for someone maybe contagious? 

As  a kindee teacher, I have been sneezed on, coughed on, exposed to more things than i can imagine.   My favorite was when a parent brought their little one  late, for they had gone  to have a strep test, but the results were not going to be in till later that day!  REALLY, do we need to  be THAT exposed?  Sure enough the poor child had strep and went home that AFTERNOON.   But blessing have it, I and most of the children didn't get sick.  Whew -- the point is our immune systems were pretty strong.

The sanitizer pump, is an amazing thing.  But since it's invention people have forgotten about good old hand washing.  Soap and water, has manage to keep people not only clean, but germ protected. Now this doesn't apply for places like hospitals, clinics, etc.  There is a place for all kinds of germ protection, and there are those individuals whose systems are frail and need special attention, but that is not the majority of us.

Seems like our children/grand children immune systems are not exposed to the ordinary germs I was when I was little.   But then, many of them don't make mud pies and try to eat them,  have the 5 second rule if something falls on the floor/ground, and don't spend most of their time outside playing, running, climbing like I did. I don't remember ever hearing about ecoli - yet I played in the barn, corrals wading through who knows what- just to hose myself off and call it good.  I do remember getting a cold/sick once in a while, but it was a rarity.  Also when I did get sick, I was REALLY REALLY SICK.  I remember that most of my doctor visits were for getting stitched up from some mishap or other.

Just the other day, I was reading about the SUPER GERMS! Now that is scary, these super germs are created from reacting to the super cleaners, antibiotics, and weak immune systems that are easilly attacked.  Docs are getting better about not handing out pills for every little ear ache, but we are a population who want them to take away the pain and discomfort of our body building up resistence. So then the cycle keeps going.

So what is the remedy?  Eating mud pies?  Not really, but getting outdoors and getting ones hands dirty- really with dirt is okay.   That it is important to get plenty of fresh air, breathe hard, learning how to properly blow ones nose- yes all the kindee teachers will love you for this, how to sneeze- they will love this too; wash hands well- with soap.  and of course the most important eat your vegies and fruits. 
As far as though sanitizer spritzers-  I do carry a little one in my bag, for when I don't have soap and water handy, but it is not the first thing I go for. 

Here is to all of you , may you by pass the sniffles, ah choos and flu's this year.  Stay healthy- eat an apple  a day.