People think I am crazy, or have “too many rules” when it comes to mini me. From when she was born, I insisted people always wash their hands if they wanted to hold her, I still do. I tell people to not kiss her. Once she began crawling I insisted people not wear their shoes in the house, and with good reason, but, you have people who would roll their eyes, and just think I’m plain crazy/neurotic. It just makes me think about people’s sense of hygiene.
Why shouldn’t you wear your shoes in the house?
There are many reasons. Imagine, dogs, cats, even humans piss, shit and whatever on the streets you walk on. We live in the city, so imagine what crap is on the ground. On top of that, when you use restrooms, people sometimes urinate on the floor. I have even seen period blood on the floor! Do you really want to bring that stuff into your home? I sure as heck don’t. Some people don’t care. I do! I care even more since mini me is walking and does everything on the floor, playing included. Her toys touch the floor, which eventually end up in her mouth. So all of that junk you were stepping on would eventually end up in her mouth!
During mini me’s 12 month appointment she was screened for lead, and tested positive; her level was 7.4, and it increased to 8 when she tested a few months later. I never thought we’d have to deal with anything like this. So far, she’s not showing any signs of it affecting her, but, we won’t know until she’s about 6 years of age.
We live in an old house, so there is lead paint in some places, especially the basement, but she doesn’t go down there. The only thing I can think of is when laundry is being done the lead is being tracked back up the stairs. Plus, unknowingly, my Mom would leave the dust mop on the basement steps, and then use the mop on the floors. I made her stop.
Lead isn’t bothersome unless it is disturbed. We’re trying to figure out where it is coming from, it isn’t in the pipes. A home testing kit determined the most lead is in the basement. It is frustrating. It is also frustrating when people don’t take things as seriously as you do. The next steps would be to have it removed. A no-shoe policy will decrease the chances of lead, bacteria, mold, pollen and more from being tracked into the home.
Her doctor has told us to increase her intake of iron and calcium and try to figure out where the lead is coming from. We tried Enfamil Fer-in-sol, which broke her out in hives. This is the second Enfamil product that didn’t agree with her. I wrote them, and they are refunding my money. Now, I am giving her 1 teaspoon of Floravital daily, which agrees with her. He also stated we must keep her hands and toys clean. Damp mop and dust.
Check out these articles about risks of wearing your outside shoes in the home:
ABC Good Morning America – “How Dirty Are Your Shoes”