It’s okay not to share everything!

So you probably learned early on in life that it’s important and good to share. You share your pencil in school; you share your lunch with your friends; you share your locker if your friend’s is jammed; you share your secrets and hope no one will find out; you share basically everything. Well today I am here to say, “it’s okay not to share everything“. And by that sense, I mean do not share any germs.

I’m by no means a “germaphobe” because I know that some “germs” are a natural process in our bodies and the environment, but when it comes to unwanted germs that leaves us sick, then, no thank you! There are too many people out there who couldn’t care less about spreading their germs around and they wonder why they’re always sick with the flu or cold. Most likely they don’t wash their hands or maintain good hygiene.

Several years ago, a good friend of mine and I were thinking of starting a company that sold “cootie-killers” products to help eliminate germs in the home, workplace, and any other public areas. I really wish we had gone forward with our plan because there are so many dirty people and places out there. Don’t laugh at me right now – you know what I’m referring to when the guy in the cubicle next to you keeps coughing and blowing his nose and he doesn’t cover his mouth or wash his hands and he’s breathing right into your face. Next thing you know – you get sick yourself. Or how about the numerous types of germs and unhealthy bacteria and viruses lingering on the menu in your favorite restaurant or on the handlebars of shopping carts? I see moms and dads plop their kids in the utility section while ignoring their children chewing gleefully on the plastic handlebars. Most stores have jumped on the bandwagon by providing disinfecting wipes, but I still see most people not bothering to wipe down the handlebars and carts before they seat their kids in them.

So in reference to my “it’s okay not to share everything” opinion, I try to teach my son that while it’s okay to share certain toys, it’s not okay to share utensils or personal items. But how do you teach a toddler that when he sees it on Nickelodeon or PBS about sharing toys or hears it from his relatives and friends that it’s good to share everything. It’s just one of my ongoing conflicts on what to teach him and what not to go overboard on. I don’t want him to not make friends or be phobic about germs (after all, he is a boy and he’ll get dirty no matter what), but I do want him to know the difference between sharing something safe and literally throwing caution to the wind.

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