Toys in the waiting room

[Bapi]

Hello
I am a GP in the North West, we get mixed opinions on toys in the waiting room, some parents say they are a health hazard, some think they are a must. We havent got the capacity to sterilise them every day / minute etc.
I am seeking views really

Thanks

KAQ- That's the thing, you are being PFB, no two ways about it.

You can't just fling out something like that BM without justification - and I don't see any.

Besides which I firmly believe PFBism has its rightful place in our culture. There is a spectrum obviously but it's wrong to criticise a parent for being concerned.

and you haven't answered K's question.

Of course I can GS, it is my opinion that she is being PFB about not letting her child play with toys in a waiting room. Please answer me this- how is it any different from toys anywhere else? How are books any better, or worse? Children in a waiting room aren't necessarily unwell, Some are just there with their parent. Those that are very poorly wouldn't feel very much like playing with toys. It's PFB in the extreme and people need to chill out.

KAQ- No, I havn't carried out studies but do you have the studies/evidence on this little experiment? It doesn't prove that the toys were any more dirtier than any other surface/door handle/chair/magazines/books that people or children come into contact with. And more importantly does it actually follow up on any of these children who came into contact with these toys to see whether they became ill from playing with them?

Actually, KAQ, the earliest known use of germ warfare was by the Hittites in about 1500 BC; they drove their plague victims into their enemies territory.

I'm finding this discussion interesting, as we have exactly the same opposing views from parents about the toys we have in reception in the junior school I work in, (though as we have probably the best school cleaner in the world I am sure they are as clean as is humanly possible). So far they have survived but we have had at least one parent threatening to 'report' us for having them (she didn't make it clear who to!)

Don't really feel like answering your question, TBM< because you are sounding so aggressive and judgmental.

Perhaps another time. It does seem to be the case that neither side has any actual evidence to hand. Perhaps there isn't any.

Without knowing the facts therefore I would hesitate to be anything other than cautious.

Oh here you go:

Medscape

AJIC

Just leaving the whole hygeine thing aside for a moment, can I just put in a plea for decent books not ghastly tv character tie-ins and the like.

I always take books everywhere but I'm amazed how many people don't and they are one of the best things for amusing a child. But only if they're actually worth reading/listening to.

A box containing some good board books, and a selection of picture books for various ages wouldn't be that expensive and would be a great investment.

And it would reinforce the message about reading to children being really good for them (and you), and occupy them quietly without the need for television.

Rustybear I stand corrected!!

TBMOM Unfortunatley there is no online report showing the findings of the swabs that were taken, otherwise I would offer you a linky link and prove my point. Good job that GSXR1100 has provided the evidence in their most excellent link.Thankyou
The evidence in our study did show much higher rates of bacteria in key areas including on toys and we had higher rates of infection in those areas in adults and children.

TBMOM I do however think that your tone is quite offensive tbh, you may judge me as "pfb"ish, but your judgement is pretty poor from what I can see, so your judgements don't really carry any weight imvho

To the OP! Yep you were right, you are not going to make everybody happy easily!

GSXR1100'S link should be useful to you tho!

Been a very long time since I rode on one of those...............probably because I've been breastfeeding for 62 months.... never mind will drag the bike out again one day......

I for one was delighted to see the absence of the grubby old toys and chewed books from my gp's waitingroom once a new gp came on board. Pregnant with my second child I always had my toddler with me at appointments and although I would usually buy her a new book to occupy her she would still want to check out what was lying around. Of course it's different to a being on a bus or whatever because for one thing most folk are sick, that's why they're there, and another is that it gets steadily hotter and hotter as the day goes on in a surgery waitingroom, the perfect breeding ground for germs whereas buses, play groups etc tend to be in my experience quite chilly.

And although sure kids get sick, since I was already pregnant and tired looking after my toddler, should she get a flu, I would be more tired again (up at nights etc, looking after her) and then should she pass it on to me, well I was already having breathing problems and the one long lasting flu I had during my pregnancy was hell.

So OP my vote would def be no toys, bring your own

Oh and one other thing, it was such a relief not having to watch old people struggling on their feet out of the doctors office to almost being toppled over by some kid on the floor shoving around a three wheeled truck or something. So not having these toys here also saves close falls from older patients!

I have no problem with toys/books in the waiting room.

I like germs, DD hardly ever gets sick

But I can see valid points on both sides...

omg, I feel panicky about the "Bring your own toys" advice -- as if I didn't have ENOUGH things to remember and think about and plan for. Now it's suggested I should plan ahead to keep my toddler amused in what will be yet another deliberately-designed-to-be-child-unfriendly environment .

I don't think it is all that hard to bung in a small packet of felt pens and a pad of paper when you are going out - or a book - or just hand a toddler your mobile phone

I do think the appeal of 'different' toys to what they have at home is part of the fun, but when that means they are subject to a lot more viruses I'm not too chuffed about it. Getting a toddler to wash his hands is a nightmare - and using the toilet at a surgery is one of the things right down on my list of desirable pursuits.

I used to take these things very lightly but I was unlucky one time. That changed my attitude.

Kickarse - I am highly of your bike.

I just got my new one yesterday though and am in looooove! Not that I will have a lot of time to ride it - have been bfing for the last 3 years, LOL

62 MONTHS! Wowee.

Oh and just for good measure, I found an article somewhere that said soft toys were terribly bad to have - really high rate of coliform cultures, compared to hard toys. So whoever said that was right.

DEFINITELY ditch the soft toys, at least - please

YES - Please keep the toys! DS2 is often at the GP's and ds1 has been kept amused for hours with a box of plastic bricks and broken train track.

I don't see how the germ thing stacks up.. hospital playrooms, therapy rooms paediatric waiting rooms are stacked full of toys.

The slight risk of them harbouring the odd germ is far outweighed by the many benifits they have in making DR & Hospital visits slightly more bearable.
My ds2 has a crap immune system & I'm not aware that he has ever picked up a bug from a shared toy & he spends ages in hospital waiting rooms.

anonandlikeit
"My ds2 has a crap immune system & I'm not aware that he has ever picked up a bug from a shared toy & he spends ages in hospital waiting rooms"

You might want to rethink that last sentence - it could explain a lot!!!

How about some alcohol gel in the waiting room so if parents are worried they can make their kids squirt their hands with it as they finish playing?

I think most places have alcohol gel, but unfortunately it doesn't kill the really nasty germs.

I never go near it. But most people might be happy enough with it - as it does work on a lot of the more usual things. I am just a paranoid freak

NO twinkey, he has a variety of medical conditions and disabilities largely as a result of his prematurity and brain damage.

His immune system has improved gradually over the years and I am not aware that exposure to toys in a waiting room has ever resulted in additional infection.

In fact when you have no choice but to spend large amounts of time in hospitals and various waiting rooms children are only too pleased of a bit of normality and a welcome distraction.
Actually ds2's disability means he actually doesn't play with toys very much BUT his brother who is often with us is very grateful they are there.

I'm very sorry to hear about your ds2's difficulties anon,but really without swabbing the toys etc and looking at it forensically its probably hard to tell where a particular virus/ bacteria has come from. They have to come from somewhere!

Our local hospital has a large childrens unit and an equally large playroom with various wonderful toys in it. Those toys I would be happy for my dcs to play with because I have actually seen staff cleaning them!

The Tatt in our gps office however - not a chance! Really minging!

Twinkey, he has also sat in piles of dirt, ate grass & anything else he could put in his mouth & spent the first 2 1/2 yrs rolling around the floor (before he could sit or crawl)
Really I don't think playing with a few toys is going to put him at any greater risk.
I also don't swab all the books in the library the toys in his nursery, desks & pencils in his school, many of which i'm sure have been in kids mouths & dribbled on.

Bacteria is everywhere, I just don't believe
removing anything that looks well loved and played with is really needed.
Its just healthy exposure.

There are obviously a small number of people both children and adults with seriously supressed immune systems where all these things are a very real risk BUT for the vast majority of people its just life!

Our GP has books, various posters (usually about getting tested for various ailments but so long as they have pictures to chat about the subject doesn't matter), a window to look out of, and most importantly - extremely friendly and welcoming receptionists, doctors, nurses and other HPs.

So it doesn't matter that there are no toys - its still a child friendly enviroment. I'd rather not give the staff more work to do in cleaning them tbh.

I don't let my one year old play with toys in GPs surguries - but then he ended up in intensive care at 4 months after he caught a bug. People being very cavalier about germs upsets me because I've seen just how much harm some of them can do to a small vulnerable baby.

Everyone I know brings their toddlers to the docs when they are at the first and most infectious stages of illness, so there must be more spread via the toys there than in other places. And you can always bring your own. I know its going to get harder for me to stop him playing with them as he gets bigger. At the moment I keep him in his buggy when we go to the docs so he doesn't touch anything there.

Am shcoked at how many people on this thread won't let their children play with them.
I was saddened when our Gp surgery got rid of the toys. Thought it was an over-reaction. It would appear from thsi thread thta I am in a minority.

If your child has very low immune, then thats is different. but we would hope thta most children don't worry about bacteria all the time. thats half the fun of playing in mud etc as anonandlikeit says.
ds1 and ds2 are never ill. gp was shocked he hadn't seen ds1 for years. luck ?
immunity often builds up for most if they are at nursery or once they start pre school at 3, says most of my friends.