This morning as I heard the familiar sound of the Purell truck backing down my driveway to deliver my weekly pallet, I thought about how amazing it is that we managed to survive our childhood years. Not just with germs but with everything, we must have been a very tough breed. We didn’t wear bike helmets, seatbelts, we talked to strangers and when we got concussions we were told to shake it off. When you got in a car accident and banged your head, you were worried about the car not your head. Right? It’s frightening to think about all of the things that happened to us as children that we would never allow to happen to our children. I’m telling you, our parents must have been drunk all the time.

We touched everything and never had any antibacterial to put on our hands before we licked the Dorito cheese off of our fingers. I grew up taking public transportation and never worried about the germs that I was exposed to. Now, I wrap my children in plastic wrap and put a mask on them before they even go outdoors. Whenever we are on the train or in Boston I find myself saying, “Don’t touch that, people pee there” more times than I would like to admit. I’m not really sure why people would be peeing on the escalator railing but you never know. Better safe than sorry. Once I was at an amusement park waiting in line for a ride and someone on the ride vomited down onto me. Yup, pizza chunks in my hair. Good times. It was the most horrific experience that I still have flashbacks about but if it happened today? I would have to dip my body in acid to feel clean again. Side note, never, ever stand under the pirate ship ride at an amusement park.

So what does that say about us as parents? Are we too overprotective or are we just more informed than our parents were? I believe the term for the type of parent I have become is a helicopter parent. If my hovering over my children makes them a little less tough but keeps them safe, so be it. My children should be aware of the possibility of there being urine on any surface. If my children get hit in the head I would rather be over cautious and pull them from sports unlike when we were young. Coach asks – “What time is it?” child responds – “Blue”, you’re fine, get back in the game. I may have survived all of the things I experienced but look at me, my mental state speaks volumes about the after effects. So say it loud, “don’t touch that, people pee there”.