Why mothers today have developed a hygiene obsession
Every mother knows that she needs to constantly stay aware of the changing times. Alarmed by the increasing number of illnesses, many have turned into over cautious moms, who are constantly looking out for the first signs of any illness hovering around their children so that they can nip it in the bud.
Whether it’s about washing hands before eating, or letting the child play outdoors, as parents, we all end up feeling apprehensive about our children’s hygiene. This paranoia has cropped up owing to quite a few serious concerns.
1. Sanitation – You can be there to remind your children and ensure that they wash their hands and stay hygienic, but that is only when you are together at home. Once your child is outdoors, all those instructions come to nought because outside the hygienic confines of your home, he or she is exposed to many more germs every day. What’s worse is that a lot of the germs today have evolved to become more threatening than the germs during our times. So, the germs on the football, bat or even the swings of today are more dangerous and resistant than the ones we were exposed to while playing
2. Food and Water Intake – From eating candies, noodles and other junk food to drinking water from a friend’s bottle, we can’t really put a cap to what our child consumes while in school or while playing with his friends. The news of food adulteration, high levels of lead and other chemicals in foods making headlines, the thought never leaves a mother’s mind that her child is more likely to fall prey to stomach-related diseases due to consuming food or liquid from contaminated sources
3. Injuries – I think I must’ve reprimanded my children a couple of times for their carelessness when they got hurt, and I was later alarmed to discover some wounds and bruises they hadn’t told me about! Children often tend to avoid telling parents about injuries encountered while playing outside or running around in the house, for fear of being scolded by us. Prone as they are to injuries all the time, if left untreated, some injuries can turn into major infections. And no one is more bothered by this fact than a mother.
As much as we may want to keep our kids protected, the comfortable and ‘hygienic’ indoors reek of boredom and loneliness. Besides, even parents cannot deny having experienced the sheer joy of stepping out and playing outdoor games or running around care free with friends during our childhood. It is only normal, and even healthy, for our children to jump, play, yell and dance around with friends. Health is the biggest priority. We must ensure that our children follow hygienic habits like frequent hand washing, and bathing with anti-bacterial soaps etc.
