The other day a fellow mom who lives outside the city made a comment to me that pretty much went like this:
“How do you get around to all these events you do with Max?”
“Public transpiration, mostly. Sometimes I will drive if it’s far and unavailable by train or bus.”
“OMG I CANNOT believe you ride a nasty ass subway, or bus or even take cabs everyday with your son.”
She gave me this look like it was basically child abuse to expose my son to germs, naked dancers and drunk bums on a daily basis.
I frankly looked at her and said, “My son has been sick twice this entire year. How many times has your daughter?” (Her daughter goes to daycare, Max does not).
I just felt it is necessary to point out that yes, we live in NYC. It can be dirty. Sometimes you can’t avoid sickness no matter WHERE you live. But just because we choose city living does not mean we’re more likely to get sick more often. I guess some people are uneducated about city living, so I wanted to do a round-up of some of the previous articles I have written about it.
1. Basic Sanity Steps
Ugh. If I see ONE MORE PERSON stick their bag on the floor of the subway and then put on the seat, their lap, and/or then rub their gross hands all over the rails and seats I am going to put myself in bubble like Bubble Boy. Okay, probably not. But just don’t be naive. Remember there are gross ass people out there, so just assume someone gross probably touched something before you did while you were out.
WASH YOUR HANDS.
LYSOL YOUR STROLLER.
HANG IT UP DON”T ROLL IT ON THE CARPET.
AND REMOVE YOUR SHOES.
Or, guess what it’s winter – wear your gloves IN the subway! See my list of basic sanity etiquette in NYC here.
2. Sometimes kids still get sick
If you follow me on social media (swoon), you saw I was traveling last week in Pittsburgh to speak at the Mom Con. The moment I left, Maximo came down with a fever, and his dad was all of a sudden in charge of taking care of a sick toddler, and I was well, miles and miles away. It’s not easy being a mom and being far away from your baby when they’re sick. I was still up all night waiting to hear what his fever temperature was, if he was acting himself, if he was eating, drinking, playing…. UGH!
Realize that sometimes kids will get sick, and it’s best to be prepared. Make sure you own a thermometer, have some popsicles or Pedilyte on stock, along with some acetaminophen. I am NOT a doctor, but I have been the mom to call 9-1-1 when my son’s fever was so high he actually became lethargic and had febrile seizures. Read that scary moment of my life here.
3. Take care of yourself, too
As moms, we need to remember that we need to take care of ourselves, too. Who is going to take care of the babies is something happens to us? Now that’s a scary though worth thinking about. The #1 killer among women isn’t car accidents or germs on the subway – it’s heart disease. Remember to get basic check-ups, eat a little be better, take the steps instead of the elevator here and there, get do your annual screenings including mammograms, pap tests and cervical cancer checks, among others.
4. You won’t get AIDS on the subway
Ok I don’t want you coming back to me saying you DID get it after you had some crazy drunk unprotected sex in the last car of the F train one night. Be realistic. You can’t live in fear everyday wondering WHAT IF. I mean, what if you drive to work and get into a car accident? What if you slip on the ice on the way into the grocery store? What if you got trampled or stabbed on Black Friday? Okay – I already need a Xanex. Just realize that as long as you’re not doing things you SHOULDN’T be doing like licking the poles, I am pretty sure you’ll be okay. Realize you live in America and have A LOT more luxuries than most of the world, so getting AIDS on the subway shouldn’t even been a concern for you.
5. Making Lifestyle changes
I’ll be the first to admit trying to be a mom, work, and still run a household isn’t easy. And now we have to worry about eating and BEING healthy? In these last two and a half years of motherhood, I’ve realized that if you incorporate health INTO your lifestyle, it’s not work. Don’t think of it that way. Max may only be two (and a half), but he loves to help! So we try to cook something together everyday, even if it’s just stirring box macaroni and cheese. Last night he helped sauté the broccoli – he’s a BIG fan of tossing in the pinch (or two) of salt and pepper. See how I said broccoli? We had macaroni and cheese WITH broccoli. I know it’s not easy to ALWAYS eat organic and fresh and healthy – but little steps. We start by ALWAYS trying to add something green to every meal. Brussels are BIG in season right now, and are actually quite delicious if you cook them properly.
Try swapping your dairy for organic or even raw. I grew up on a farm drinking milk directly from a cow, and guess what I never died from it!
Try baking with the kids. This pecan pie recipe is SO easy a toddler can do it – Max made his own!
Or even just start to stop buying so much processed and canned food when you can do it yourself. Making your own spaghetti sauce is SO EASY and it tastes SO MUCH better AND it doesn’t have any of the bad stuff – just pure, fresh ingredients!
What do you to do stay germ-free during these winter months?
The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them. I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I create original editorial content.
[tweet_box]Riding the subway during cold season doesn’t make you a bad mom. [/tweet_box]
