Do you let babies crawl on carpets?!

I was a very anxious first time parent and would not have thought of this. Most baby mats will also have micro plastics etc. I do not think there's decent proof anywhere that carpet crawling is a risk

This is me as well and I agree.

I'm sometimes ashamed to admit that my anxiety does take over a little in my life. But seeing things like this (and there seems to be more and more of it these days) just makes me think what a sad life some people must live. I don't mean this nastily. It's genuinely sad.

Ideas like this must make our parenting practices of even 25 years ago seem horrifically neglectful!

As for the generation before - well apparently, set down on the nearest patch of ground, off I'd crawl to find the most interesting mouthful of nature to eat. Earth, dirt, grass, leaves, berries, butterflies, moths, worms, ants, flies; dead or alive; doused in who knows what wee or poo or now-banned herbicides and pesticides. Wee handfuls of whatever I could grasp crammed in my mouth (or partly wriggling free). I hear tales of hilarious/disgusting photographic evidence in long-lost albums, so obviously never a great rush to thwart my exploits.

Yet here we all still are, more of us alive on this poor beleaguered planet than ever before.

some people's ability to sensibly assess risk clearly never developed

Baby number five regularly crawled on the dog and learned to walk hanging on to the horse. Honestly, it's only something that worries mothers of PFBs. A couple more kids and you're just happy there's no poo where they are.

I got a robot hoover at vast expense to dh's horror when DD started crawling. I didn't want her crawling on the dirty carpet! But I never worried about carpet fibres!

I did stop her crawling on floor outside and in public places though!

How in God’s name have any of the human race survived, we are all in such constant danger?

I've heard it all now. So long as he's not crawling down the outside lane of the m1 I think they'll be fine.

I remember getting a new rug when dd was about 2. She wouldn't let me on it! Apparently it was hers.

Maybe OP's friend is the same person who posted about not wanting their DC out on the (early evening) dark.

🙏 Your baby will be fine! Some people just like to be competitive with shit like this.
I was raised with nylon carpets in my parents' home and they both chain smoked indoors and around me! No lung cancer yet (obviously not doubting that it CAN cause it) and despite having been a smoker for 20 years myself also, my lungs were fine! Honestly ignore this nonsense. Well done on the carpet by the way. I live in a house which also had concrete floors and I know how wonderful it felt to get carpet finally 🤍

Does this person ever consider how any child has survived to adulthood?

Think back 500 years when people shared their houses with their livestock and still survived.

Whoever this person is you need to get them out of your life or learn to laugh in their face.

'scolded' - Regardless of what it was about, you are an adult and if anyone even attempts to scold you they must be told in no uncertain terms to FUCK OFF.

Now this I definitely wouldn't do! People's shoes have stood in everything outside, including excrement and spit from people with all sorts (potentially things like HIV) then walked into the coffee shop. Baby crawls then put hands in mouth. Becomes infected. That's quite literally how viruses spread 🦠 so your mum was right to be horrified, Eugh. If you wouldn't allow your child to crawl along a wet pavement outdoors then definitely don't allow them to crawl on PUBLIC flooring as that is potentially even worse as if it's carpet (say in a coffee shop) then it absorbs all the crap.

And no, it does not 'build their immune systems' 🙄

Does this person also object to babies being allowed outside?! Preventing a baby learning to crawl would be abusive, no?

Where on earth was that?

So sorry my dad's carpets weren't up to your lofty standards🙄

This is very irresponsible. Your baby's muscular development will be adversely affected by your selfish behaviour.

@Devilsmommy Your Dad obviously laid some incredibly cheap, poor quality carpets then and wasn't doing it properly as he most definitely shouldn't have inhaled carpet fibres! Fluff on the knees of his Jeans - absolutely but not breathed in.

Of course I let them crawl on carpets!

What lunatic told you this, OP?

Yes I did. Both of them. They’re 23 and 20 now. No ill effects!

Ridiculous

Mine always crawled around on carpets.
Sometimes they'd crawl on the kitchen floor tiles, over to the dogs bowl and swipe a biscuit out of it.
On fine dry days, they'd crawl around the garden too.
It's a mystery how they got beyond their third birthday.

I feel sorry for the children of these people, their harm anxiety will rub off onto their kids and that’s a miserable life to bestow upon a child

I have never considered that. DC are 21 and 19 now. DS did learn to crawl on a laminate floor which was probably a bit tricky for him come to think of it. DD bottom shuffled and couldn’t actually crawl until after she learned to walk