Well, it is official. YCN is gone and you can no longer find my articles online. As I said, I plan to post them maybe once per week, but I will only post the good ones.

Parenting Resolution

My parenting resolution for 2013 is to let my son get dirty!

In today’s society, overuse of anti-bacterial soap and hand sanitizer has led to some antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. The belief that keeping ourselves clean is keeping us healthy is not always the case.
Just like a muscle, the immune system gains strength from use. If we do not let it “workout” every now and then, it becomes weakened and cannot fight even the simplest strains of bacteria. Every cold makes it so the immune system has the ability to tackle larger, more persistent strains. Treating illnesses before giving the immune system a chance to fight them in essence makes one more prone to illness.

A study done in Finland found that children raised in homes with dogs were 73% healthier on average than those who were not. This is because dogs frequently bring the outside in. The dirt and all the goodies that are in it expose children’s immune systems to the natural things that their bodies need to be able to fight off more major illnesses.

I want my son to get dirty. I want him to play with the dog and roll around in the dirt. The antigens his body will absorb can only help him be a healthier boy overall. His body will fight off bacteria and infections that my husband and I, or even my son, will not know about. I want his immune system to be strong so if, heaven forbid, he becomes seriously ill, his body will have had the practice fighting and it will be able to more efficiently protect him from what ails him.

I know it is a little dorky, but it was my first one! I was very proud of it at the time.