Page 1 of 1

Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 2:37 pm
by jalanlong
Just a random question for anyone, esp anyone in the medical field. Last week I received a newsletter with "health tips" for me and my family from my son's school district. Aside from asking why they are sending health tips to us, the health tips were on how to avoid germs. And of course it was the usual..washing hands constantly...hand sanitizer etc.

When my son went to his annual dr checkup this morning, I noticed they had a sign on the outside that said "Spread Love, Not Germs." And then when speaking to the doctor I told her that my son rarely ever gets sick to which she responded "and now that we are all wearing masks, that gives us even added protection!"

So is this the dominant medical opinion on "germs" these days? I remember (or at least I think I do) a time when you wanted your child exposed to germs in order to build a strong immune system. Is that now changed science? Are we to avoid germs whenever possible now and is there no thought any longer that following that regime would result in a weaker immune system?

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:04 pm
by flyingpylon
It's not changed science, it's changed feelings.

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:05 pm
by jalanlong
flyingpylon wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:04 pm
It's not changed science, it's changed feelings.
So we as a society have decided that it is better to protect the immune compromised rather than make ourselves stronger?

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:22 pm
by Maddy
It seems to be part of a generalized fear-based view of the world, together with an unnatural dependency of parents on their children. Used to be that children could pile into a Radio Flyer wagon and go barreling down an infrequently traveled road. These days, the parent of a child who dares try such a thing ends up on a CPS watch list.

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:01 pm
by I Shrugged
MangoMan wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:25 pm
Maddy wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:22 pm
It seems to be part of a generalized fear-based view of the world, together with an unnatural dependency of parents on their children. Used to be that children could pile into a Radio Flyer wagon and go barreling down an infrequently traveled road. These days, the parent of a child who dares try such a thing ends up on a CPS watch list.
You are considered a delinquent parent now if you don't attend 100% of your kids' soccer/baseball games and also bring snacks. I was lucky if my folks came to one game per year. The rest of the time I rode my bike to the game.
There was a lot good about our parents not watching our Little League games. We got to buy sugary stuff at the concession stand, shoot off cheap fireworks at the other end of the park, and basically screw around like pre-teen boys do. I keep saying I don't want to turn into the get off my lawn kind of old man. But it really, really was better without helicopter parenting, and the internet.

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:52 pm
by jalanlong
So is there any chance of me finding a pediatrician who is not a germaphobe? I mean besides going to see dozens of them and interviewing them? Would that be a doctor that specializes in holistic or natural medicine or would that not be the right direction to look?

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:07 pm
by Mark Leavy
jalanlong wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:52 pm
So is there any chance of me finding a pediatrician who is not a germaphobe? I mean besides going to see dozens of them and interviewing them? Would that be a doctor that specializes in holistic or natural medicine or would that not be the right direction to look?
If there isn't anything obviously wrong with your kid, then checkups do more harm than good. Only take the kid in to the doc when he's sick or hurt or something seems off.

Then you don't have to worry about whatever opinion the doc has about germs.

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:36 pm
by jalanlong
Mark Leavy wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:07 pm
jalanlong wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:52 pm
So is there any chance of me finding a pediatrician who is not a germaphobe? I mean besides going to see dozens of them and interviewing them? Would that be a doctor that specializes in holistic or natural medicine or would that not be the right direction to look?
If there isn't anything obviously wrong with your kid, then checkups do more harm than good. Only take the kid in to the doc when he's sick or hurt or something seems off.

Then you don't have to worry about whatever opinion the doc has about germs.
Well except for school required vaccinations. That is all he goes for is the random checkup and shots.

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:51 pm
by Mark Leavy
jalanlong wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 5:36 pm
Well except for school required vaccinations. That is all he goes for is the random checkup and shots.
Sounds like you’ve got it covered!

You have my permission to ignore the pediatrician’s advice on anything that sounds ridiculous to you.

And let your kid pee on trees and walk barefoot and forget to wash his hands and dig his own splinters out with a pocketknife.

And check with MangoMan on getting your wife’s buy in ;)

Re: Germs

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:00 pm
by vnatale
MangoMan wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:25 pm

Maddy wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:22 pm

It seems to be part of a generalized fear-based view of the world, together with an unnatural dependency of parents on their children. Used to be that children could pile into a Radio Flyer wagon and go barreling down an infrequently traveled road. These days, the parent of a child who dares try such a thing ends up on a CPS watch list.


You are considered a delinquent parent now if you don't attend 100% of your kids' soccer/baseball games and also bring snacks. I was lucky if my folks came to one game per year. The rest of the time I rode my bike to the game.


I once asked a friend why she went to her children's games. I think she said that it was to support them. I went to a few of those games and I noticed the kids always looking her way to see if they'd noticed what they did. It made me question if they'd continue to play as adults when their parents would not be there to give their approval? No. They all stopped playing once high school was over.

Me? I have always played sports for the pure love and enjoyment of it. My father was at one of my games. During the game I had no idea he was even there. He told me later that night he'd been there. Since I played not out of need of parental approval or applause I'm still playing!

Re: Germs

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 5:35 pm
by Kriegsspiel
I Shrugged wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:01 pm
There was a lot good about our parents not watching our Little League games. We got to buy sugary stuff at the concession stand, shoot off cheap fireworks at the other end of the park, and basically screw around like pre-teen boys do. I keep saying I don't want to turn into the get off my lawn kind of old man. But it really, really was better without helicopter parenting, and the internet.
No doubt. We had a creek that ran near our little league fields, and I remember spending a lot of time in there catching crawdads and playing army, or playing a pickup game on one of the empty fields when my younger brother had a game. Fueled by pixie sticks and fun dip from the concession stand. I'm so glad I had a mostly pre-internet childhood.

Re: Germs

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 8:45 pm
by SomeDude
jalanlong wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:05 pm
flyingpylon wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:04 pm
It's not changed science, it's changed feelings.
So we as a society have decided that it is better to protect the immune compromised rather than make ourselves stronger?
Some people have decided to make this idea popular with marketing from the TV and the computer. The question is why?

Re: Germs

Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:55 am
by boglerdude
Whatever it takes to turn us into North Korea

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChurchOfCOVID/ ... is_ways_a/

Re: Germs

Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:47 am
by dualstow
MangoMan wrote:
Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:21 pm
Of course. Peanut butter is no longer allowed in schools bc there might be one kid with an allergy.
But maybe

https://youtu.be/wEb5a-I0kyg