AIBU to prefer my children not to share beakers with other kids?

[internetjunkie]

Sounds even more petty when I see it written down!!

Admittedly I am a bit germ phobic but I do grin and bear it (often) when friends bring round their toddlers with high temperatures, streaming colds etc etc. I tend to keep us a bit more to ourselves when my toddlers are ill but that's just me and each to their own.

Having been up during many nights in the last month with both kids and endless bugs I invited a fair amount of scorn last week when I very very gently turned down the offer of a drink to my 20 month old from a shared beaker. My friend's LO had a streaming cold and a really nasty ear infection oozing yellow pus. All 3 other mums looked a bit horrified - like I'd just slapped someone round the face!

I know germs are a fact of life, esp with small children, and we need them to build up immunity but am I really being so unreasonable to want to try to limit exposure a bit every so often!!

My toddler literally snogged the ear infection as we left - so it was all a waste of energy anyway!!

Why am I so bothered?

Sock it to me.

Hope they don't read this - they'll know exactly who they are!!!!

[SparkleSoiree]

YANBU.

[SparkleSoiree]

Would you take a drink from a friend of yours glass who had a streaming nose and an ear infection oozing pus? YADNBU.

Sorry, reread and had to add another reply!

[BandOMothers]

at "snogged the ear infection"

I hope you're not going to refer to that poor oozing child as "The Ear Infection" from now on?

"Oh I saw Jane and The Ear Infection the other day.."

[SecretMinceRinser]

I'm no germ-phobe. Food very recently dropped on the floor = fine in this house and toddlers with a bit of a sniffle are more than welcome. High temps or ear infections and I would keep my kids in though. I couldn't imagine kids wanting to play with either of those things either.

[GlitterySkulls]

i don't drink from anyone's glass, my ds isn't allowed to drink from another childs beaker. even without infections.

why would anyone have a problem with you saying no?

[ImpOfThePerverse]

I don't know why but I don't like the idea of sharing beakers, I know between toy sharing and toddler contact they're going to catch things but it still doesn't seem quite right somehow.

One of my friends tried to wipe DS2's nose with a tissue she'd already used on her own DS, apparently this was fine because 'they've got the same cold'. Even if the snot was analysed by a lab and definitely only contained the germs he already had, it's still disgusting! I got DS2 a fresh tissue.

[Bestb411pm]

I'm not a germ-phobe and I gagged at 'snogged the ear infection' - YANBU to want to avoid that.

[Ghoulwithadragontattoo]

Toddlers really spit back into the beakers too. It's pretty revolting when it's their own beaker never mind someone else's. YANBU.

[EmilyStrange]

I have no issue with germs or sharing beakers but when my kid or my friends' kids are ill we try to avoid sharing beakers. And none of us would let our kids drink from a beaker from a kid with a nasty ear infection. I mean why would you, ear infections are bloody painful so don't invite one in. And I really dont care about regular germs. Your friends sound odd.

[Marymaryalittlecontrary]

When I was at sixth form college a teacher shared his theory that the reason cases of meningitis were so high amongst older teenagers was because they go to nightclubs and share drinks. No idea if that's true or not but I have never been comfortable with sharing drinks after that (apart from with boyfriends whose germs tended to get shared in other ways anyway!). I don't have kids but I don't think I'd particularly want them sharing beakers with other, non-related kids, healthy or not.

[Morloth]

I wouldn't encourage sharing cups, but I don't freak out if it happens either.

In the circumstances you describe there is no chance we would be sharing. Yuck.

I wouldn't share a glass with a friend with a streaming cold. That is just dumb.

[outofbodyexperience]

This post reminded me of that round robin e-mail that turns up every now and again in the inboxes of the over thirties. the one that says 'and four or five of us shared one bottle of pop and NO-ONE DIED.'

Fond reminiscences indeed.

[outofbodyexperience]

I've never seen anyone sharing a drink in a nightclub, incidentally...

[tigerlillyd02]

YADNBU! Yuck.

I don't agree with the 'sharing germs' malarky either. Why would you purposely put your child in line for a cold or infection. It's bad enough when they have them anyway without knowingly asking for it!

[TheCraicDealer]

Give it 15 or so years and they'll be snogging the face off the kid attached to the ear infection*

*if pus is cunningly disguised with lock of hair and/or hat

[Woodlands]

YANBU, in my circle of friends we certainly try to stop our toddlers drinking from other children's beakers, but it is really hard work! Why is it that each others' drinks are so much more appealing than their own? They all have plain water in them. I have put a name sticker on my DS's Tommee Tippee flip top cup so we can tell it apart if other children have the same cup, but of course he makes a beeline for all the other ones. Personally I'd be in favour of everyone keeping the beakers in their bags unless their child is actually drinking from them, but as soon as one is out all the children want to drink from it so you end up getting out their own cups.

[EdithWeston]

YANBU.

You can't always stop a child (especially in group settings and schools) from taking the someone else's cup, but IMO this shouldn't be permitted or encouraged. Mutter something about cold sores - it usually shuts people up.

[toddlerama]

YANBU, but I know people are judging me for this too. It's more awkward when the germy kid goes for your kid's drink and you have to swipe it away...

[FaithHopeAndKevin]

For the spat out bits of food alone YANBU

[gardenplants]

It's disgusting to share a drink with anyone who has a snotty cold regardless of age. In our house (2 adults, 5yo, 3yo) we all share drinks sometimes, but if anyone is ill, they do not share drinks. How disgusting to expect a 20 month old to drink up another kid's snotty germs. YANBU.

[gardenplants]

Oh and at my DC's nursery and school, neither are ever allowed to touch the food/drink belonging to another child.

[internetjunkie]

Thanks everyone!! I don't feel I'm in the minority anymore. I feel empowered within my current world of snotty beakers. x