Too LAX? Germs Are Ubiquitous

I agree with you and I'm pretty relaxed about the germ thing with my two boys. If we didn't play with other kids whenever someone had a cold we'd be alone a good 6 months out of the year. I think if the kids feel up to playing and are suffering from a cold or whatever I'm fine with my kids being around them.
I would feel differently about something like pinkeye, but for most things, I wish more people (with healthy kids) would chill about the germs.

Well my oldest has asthma and a little sniffle can turn into albuterol every 2 hrs and a script or prednisone so we ask people if you know you are sick please don't come around. I know he's exposed to everything at school but I won't knowingly expose him to something just doesn't seem right. Now if he was healthy and didn't have underlying health issues it would be totally different and I would say as long as the aren't miserable and they don't have a fever come on over:) so I think you are doing just fine!

Children are going to be exposed to germs wherever they go. I don't think it's such a big deal.

I would let the child come over. Then again, people think I'm WAY too lax with my son. He's also 2 1/2, and never even had a runny nose. He's been around someone with the swine flu (unknowing) and all kinds of things. His body actually knows how to work.

If one isn't raising a child in a sterile bubble, then we all knowingly expose our kids to germs.

I think this is a personal choice that will receive very differening answerings because people are just so different regarding this topic. I personally am a germaphobe and I could never do it but I certainly dont see anything wrong with someone else doing this - really it is just a cold but I unfortunately just couldnt chance getting my kid sick for the heck of it

depends how sick. generally if its just a cold, or a cough I dont mind. Kids get colds. better now and get it out of the way. However if they are vomiting or have vomited in the past few hours, fever over 100, or any kinds of rashes. NO WAY thats a red flag for something more sinister. Its good to be careful but its not mentally sound to be a freak about it. If you are too careful you are actually setting your kids up for getting a really bad bug cause they have no immunity to anything.

No -not with a cold. The only time I get rankled or try to keep my kids away from others with colds and whatnot is when we're leaving on a trip or someone shows up with a kid who has a very contagious sickness that is a cut or two above a common cold (strep for instance). The general rule I follow and that most schools and preschools follow centers around fevers and vomiting/diarrhea. If your child has had a fever in the last 24 hours (although if it came and went quickly with no other problems -I don't usually wait that long) or vomited within the last 24 hours -keep them isolated or keep your kids away from that kid. For most -if we kept our kids home or away from others when they or other kids had a cold, we would never get out of the house again!

I think it depends. I would never knowingly expose my kids to germs. But it's kind of hard to avoid them all the time. This is very much a personal decision. If you are a stay at home mom, then it's certainly no ones business. But if I found out for certain that my daycare moms were having play dates with sick kids, I'd be angry.

I'm the same way.. if she's never around it then when she is it's just going to be horrid. Runny nose? No big deal..I would have done the same thing.

You can't live in a bubble! YOU GO GIRL!!!

If the child is not running a fever and lethargic - come on over...sniffles? Coughing? come on over...

I know what you mean about mouthing stuff!! thank God my kids are older now!! :)

I think you are fine and doing it right!!

Minor cold - I'd leave it to the parent if their kid wanted to play and understand that I take my chances. If we NEVER had a playdate with minor colds in the winter, we'd never get out. Major cold - stay home, please. But kids always seem to have sneezes and runny noses in the winter. If the kids are up for it, consider a shorter play date so they don't overdo it for the sick kid. It might also be seasonal allergies and not a cold.

Totally your call.

Many moms would cancel for a runny nose!
Many would bring their kid with a full blown strep or hacking cough.

It's a personal choice.

I used to be like that... but recently I saw the movie CONTAGION - and as a medical professional I can see this happening. We are due for a major population reducer via viral/bacterial vectors and the disruption and pollution of places that have been pristine and untouched for centuries is being undone overnight.

I'm not going to become a germaphobe... but if someone is obviously sick, I will no longer be ok with having them by myself or child (unless I'm at work and have the safety precautions we use). Also with all the super resistant strains making their way in the general population, I've been more careful with touching doorknobs, railings, grocery cars, etc and wipe them down with alcohol wipes or use dry paper towels to touch/open.

We didn't evolve in a sterile environment. Our immune systems don't function without being challenged. As long as the other kid feels up to playing and doesn't have bubonic plague, I say go for it.