Overheard this at the London Aquarium.... how do you feel?

[pupuce]

We took kids out to the Aquarium yesterday (we and 3.000.000 other parents !!!!) anyway when we got to the ray's tank, where you can touch them... my kids and other kids were gently stroking the rays (encouraged by the staff).
A mother said to her 6yo (?) child to get his hands off the water.... he didn't, she smacked his arm... (his dad said it's OK just roll your sleeves up).
Her point was that he couldn't wash his hands afterwards and then when he did dis-obey her (she continued telling him off) she said "don't put your hands in your mouth...."

Now me think... OTT mother.... can your child not go to the seaside and swim in sea.... nearly said it

What do you think ?

P.S. Rays were from the British seas.

Shit - that could have been me !

Didn't ever think that someoen would be listening and tell the story on here though !

Wasn't me this time - but did have exactly same argument with dd at London Aquarium two weeks ago !

Why ? Well - as a scientist I KNOW what bugs these fish have, and I KNOW that dd's fingers would be straight in mouth ! So - sorry if it bugs you guys - but I would say same to her next time !

My child, my rules etc....

Doesn't everyone put their bottles in an autoclave?

BTW.

i want some alcohol gel. hands can never be too clean imo. i eve beginning to like the smell of the sofalind stuff at harefield.

When I went, I'm sure they had handwash basins or troughs. Am I wrong?

I'm not a scientist but otherwise agree with Norah's post!! I always carry that gel with me and don't care who sees it. It makes me feel much happier and only takes a second so who cares what anyone else thinks.

no i didnt italianjob! lol
cod-yep..am a weirdo and proud of it...but having worked on a ward riddled with mrsa am used to thouroughly washing and dousing with alcohol gel..old habits die hard

I've kept a little bottle in my bag ever since us all getting really ill after I used a baby change room at service stations - twice in a row - despite copious handwashing etc.

It was grim

Think the woman was ott tho

Service station baby change rooms can be disgusting is true.

Norah, haven't heard about any mass poisonings from aquaria so will happily continue allowing ds to pet starfish or whatever (I do get him to wash his hands though).

sorry the alochol gel is freaky
and if you ahev ahtat as a pranoia then osmeon eneed sto tell you that si too much

in the car maybe but in your handbag
barking

Norah - is she allowed to swim in the sea then ? Which was my argument....

cod-i dont have a handbag!

God, using copious amounts of alcohol gel at work is my argument for not keeping the blasted stuff in my handbag. My hands are like a (germ-ridden) old crone's, I tell ya...

Pupuce - yes, well paddle anyway - swimming a bit beyond her at the nmoment - but we do do paddling ! However - in my 39 yrs of paddling I have yet to even come close to a fish - yet alone touch it !

Regardless - I still maintain that as her mother it's up to me what I let her do whilst she is still under my management !

Edam - maybe no mass posionings - but you don't want to think about the effects of gettinbg one of their parasites in you - I've had one once - vile !

PS. My dd woulkd have had fingers in mouth efore we even got as far as re basin to wash - hence why I don't let her pet fish ! Once she can keep hands away from mouth until wshed then I woulkd let her !

I guess we all know our own childeren best and their litle foibles ! Shame to be judged when we are just doing what we think best though !

a bit mad if you ask me but I do not use anti bac or alcohol gel, stopped sterilising at 6 months and let my children eat things they dropped on the floor! They are never ill either! I think my slack hygeine has helped build strong immune systems!

But what happens when they stick their alcohol-laced fingers into their little mouths??

they cry if they are dd3, and kearn not to do it if its the other 2.... the alcohol gel dries really quickly, tho the smell lingers on. i dont do dd3 hands, but she does grab mine after being done so gets a quick wipe.

I keep alcohol gel in my bag.But mainly because I spend all day with my hands in soil & there often isn't anywhere to wash my hands.If I get some horrible cat muck on my hands,the gel comes in very useful.

I don't use anti bac sprays or soaps at home.DD2 eats compost,ash,grass,coal,soil,anything she can get her tiny hands on & has never been ill.

If my two didn't eat things from off the floor,their food intake would drop dramatically .

Busybusybee, at your reaction! Am actually in the UK atm but will be back in No-Internet-Land in 48hrs time.

hi suedonim - nice to see you.

Why did the mother felt her child couldn't wash his hands afterwards? All she had to do was take him to the nearest loo.

One of my fav places and yes I had my hands in there for ages!!!!! So did ds1 . They feel very odd i must say, lovely but odd. How neurotic can you get.
I agree with the hand washing after animals etc but that's totally odd.
Hope you had a great time anyway