I Won't Apologize for Asking You to Wash Your Hands

In this day and age we all know the dangers that can lurk behind unwashed hands for our babies yet we'll still get push back when we kindly ask someone to wash their hands before coming near them. Let me tell you this, I do not care if you're offended. All I care about is if my baby is safe and sickness-free. By this point I feel like I've heard it ALL when I've asked someone to wash their hands before holding my baby. Here are three common things people say when you ask them to wash their hands before holding your baby.

3 Common Things People Say When You Ask Them to Wash Their Hands

"Oh Just Wait Until Your Second Kid"

I've gotten a bunch of responses to this request other than "yes of course" and this is probably the one I like to hear the least. I don't believe I'll want my second kid to get sick anymore than I want my first child to get sick. But, this logic is lost on me because I only have one child. Maybe they are right, maybe by my second kid I won't be afraid of germs but I'm thinking I probably will be. Also, I hate that this implies that you worry more about your first than your second. I want to worry about any kid I have the same.

Another response that makes me cringe is "oh I just got here, I was only just in the car". I'm sorry so you were just touching your steering wheel? I'm not saying your car is dirty but the steering wheel is probably the dirtiest thing in anyone's car. How many times have you sneezed on a steering wheel while driving? Put your hands back on the wheel after pumping gas? Exactly. Go wash your hands. Please and thank you.

"I Just Got Out of the Car"

Another response that makes me cringe. I'm sorry so you were just touching your steering wheel? I'm not saying your car is dirty but the steering wheel is probably the dirtiest thing in anyone's car. How many times have you sneezed on a steering wheel while driving? Put your hands back on the wheel after pumping gas? Exactly. Go wash your hands. Please and thank you.

"I Washed My Hands Not Too Long Ago"

What have you done since then? Have you kept them up in the air like a surgeon waiting for his gloves to be put on? No, I imagine you scratched an itch on your nose or maybe touched your mouth or a doorknob since the last time you washed your hands even if it wasn't "not too long ago". Please wash them again, thanks.   

But if you really don't want to wash your hands that's fine. I'll just take out my trusty bottle of hand sanitizer and give you a few pumps. 

I want to keep my baby healthy and we've been in flu season for a while now and it isn't ending any time soon so no, I won't apologize for asking you to wash your hands before you hold my baby.