When my firstborn came into the world I was paranoid about dirt and germs. I was the mom that sterilized everything: soothers, teethers, toys, board books… You name it and I probably sterilized it. When my baby started to move around keeping him and his environment clean became rather challenging.  I worried when I discovered him playing in the toilet and panicked when he took an interest in smearing his poop all over everything. He was constantly drawn to puddles, sand, dirt and mud, often shoving handfuls of dirt into his mouth the moment I turned around. It stressed me out and made me anxious. I wish I would have known then what I know now! Let Your Kids Get Dirty Children should be outside often and should be allowed to be barefoot and to get dirty, and handwashing does not necessarily need to immediately follow these activities. – Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier Kids need to get dirty to be both healthy and happy. This might seem counterintuitive in our culture, but more and more research is showing this to be true. It’s important to understand, however, that not all dirt is created … Continue reading Let Your Kids Get Dirty!