to ask my stepkids to wash their hands before playing with my daughter??

[mugwumpy]

I love them to pieces but I regularly catch them not washing their hands after a poo and my daughter chews most of her toys when shes cutting teeth and i dont think poo germs on them is very hygenic, AIBU?

To put a crow among the pigeons - unless you wash hands properly you probably end up with more germs!! We did a similar experiment with the undergrads at uni - we got them to set up three petri dishes with nutrient agar in them. One for an unwashed hand - then one for a hand that they washed "normally" and then another washed properly, as a doctor would have to wash when scrubbing. Guess which one had the most germs on it!

The thing is, unless cildren really scrub their hands there will always be germs - it has to be done properly finger tips last etc, hands pointing upwards - doctors dont scrub in that terribly awkward manner for nothing and the holding the hands up isn't just done for dramatic effect - although i would love doing this as a vet nurse, made me feel all ER!!

Also, i think you can be a bit PFB about young babies, i was with mine i think - but i was quite OCD about it. But actually - you know what - its actually better to expose to germs.

It IS a good habit to instill handwashing after going to the toilet - but i would just do it after toileting or stroking pets in general. Not before touching your PFB, otherwise they will think you are being precious. You are, but of course you would be, she is your precious LO. If they were your own children you probably wouldnt have needed to post this - because you would have felt comfortable telling them to wash their hands iyswim.

I don't think OP is being unreasonable. Had same thing with my DSD. I simply explained to her that her sister was a little baby and that her immune system was not as developed, so we ALL had to make sure our hands were clean before playing with her as germs we could fight off easily were trickier for her. I made sure it was an all of us thing, and made a point of obviously washing my hands when DSD was around to see. She didn't mind at all.

sparklingsarah i think you misread my post, i am talking about touching things that go in her mouth not her and presuming i am resentful of my stepkids being around is mean and crap, i love them to bits and have looked after them with all my heart and generally worked my arse off to make my home their home so YABVU with that comment....
EllieG thankyou for your post, it is nice to hear from someone who has experienced it firsthand and your point was really helpful!
but there are germs and there are germs as i have already said lucyellensmummy, there is a difference between toilet germs and general dirt in my mind, maybe i am just unreasonable then!!!