Plush stuffed animals
Our society has become more aware of bacteria and germs. Every where you go in public you see signs to wash your hands, especially in public restrooms. Our agency adjoins the public health nurses office. One of the nurses put a poster in the employee restroom that goes through the step by step procedure for washing your hands. The poster encourages you to open the door to the restroom with a paper towel when you are exiting to avoid the germs on the door knobs. Many people are using anti-bacteria soaps and dish detergents to keep a safer kitchen area.
All of the hand washing and anti-bacteria soaps are good; however as with everything they need to be used in moderation. We need to be exposed to some bacteria so we build up our immune systems. I work with families that have mentally ill children or parents. In two of the families the mother's have obsessive compulsive disorder. They are constantly after their children to wash their hands, yet they allow them to put toys that are in public areas in their mouths. One of the mother's loves to collect plush stuffed animals. She had them displayed in rather interesting ways throughout the home. She does not give a second though to her infant playing with the plush stuffed toys, even though they are probably covered with dust mites and other bacteria. She picks up the soft cuddly animals at garage sales and second hand stores.
I have always enjoyed plush stuffed animals. I had quite a collection when I was a child. My brother helped out at the local fairs and carnivals when we were growing up and he would bring home some of the stuffed animals that were ripped. My mother would patch them up and we had them in our rooms to play with and use as decorations. My mother would insist that we vacuum them and set them outside in freezing cold temperatures in the winter to kill bacteria. I mentioned this to my client who collects the toys. She said she had never thought about the toys having germs on them. The next time I visited the family she had the entire porch lined with the plush stuffed animals. It was a cold day and she was using my mother's technique of freezing off the germs. She said that she had put out the cushions of the furniture as well as the pillows in the house as well. It was good to see that she was still allowing her children to play, and was still enjoying her animals, yet was making sure that they would not get sick.
