Before stepping into the world of parenthood, I was blissfully unaware of germs. If a charming guy at a gathering was sneezing, I’d still happily share a drink with him. If a friend mentioned she had been sick but felt better, I’d gladly invite her over for a visit, even showering her with affection. And the thought of sanitizing a doorknob after she left? Ridiculous! Only true germaphobes do that.
But then I became a parent, and everything changed. Every time my kids fall ill, I lose not only sleep but also precious work time. If I catch whatever they have, it’s complete chaos in our home. Even a minor cold can mean sleepless nights, especially with toddlers who struggle to breathe through their noses and insist on sleeping right on top of you, with snot flowing freely.
I confess: I will go to great lengths to keep germs away from my kids. If I hear your child has a cold, flu, or any sort of illness, I’ll be making a quick exit with my little ones in tow. Sorry if that seems rude, but parenthood has turned me into a full-on germaphobe.
A Night of Chaos
Take, for instance, a few weeks ago. My eldest woke up at 10 p.m. feeling ill, just as my partner and I were finally unwinding. When I heard the first retching noise, I sprinted to his room. He hadn’t even managed to get out of bed and was covered in vomit.
Instantly, I morphed into a drill sergeant. I barked orders at my partner: “Get him in the shower, don’t let him touch anything, and toss those contaminated towels straight in the trash!” I threw my hair into a tight bun, donned latex gloves (yes, I have a stash), and fashioned an impromptu hazmat suit out of old clothing. I stripped his bed, bagged everything separately for laundry, and doused any surface that might have been exposed to the mess with bleach.
As I scrubbed away, I realized just how far I’d gone. Germs are part of life, after all, and kids getting sick is just something we deal with. But since becoming a parent, the mere thought of germs sends me into a panic.
The Chain Reaction of Illness
It’s not fear of a catastrophic illness that drives me; rather, it’s the knowledge that my kids seem to catch every germ in their vicinity. Each bout of illness flips our lives upside down. Now that I have two children, it’s a chain reaction—what one catches inevitably spreads to the other and then to my partner and me. One little bug can keep us all down for weeks.
That’s exactly what happened with a recent virus my son brought home. It turned out to be hand, foot, and mouth disease, which began with him feeling under the weather, followed by an eruption of red blistered spots on his skin. My intense cleaning efforts were for naught as the illness quickly spread to my younger child.
Oh, the trials of hand, foot, and mouth disease! If that doesn’t turn you into a germaphobe, I’m not sure what will.
Finding a Balance
I know I should probably relax a bit about germs. They are everywhere, and avoiding them completely is impossible. Kids are naturally prone to illness, and I understand that trying to control everything is futile. Yet, I can’t help but insist my kids wash their hands incessantly, slather on hand sanitizer, and generally panic about germs.
There you have it: I’ve officially transformed into a paranoid, neurotic germaphobe.
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In summary, parenthood has reshaped my perspective on germs, turning me into a cautious germaphobe who is always on guard to protect my children from illness.
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