Annette Naake

Speaking of diseases...

A couple of weeks ago I took my two guys to visit my mom for a few days.
Yesterday while I was at work my husband noticed the 4yo playing with a
couple of brightly colored objects. Upon closer inspection, they turned out
to be *used condoms* (green and blue) which Nicky insisted were balloons
that he had found in a park where we'd played in my mom's town! He'd been
toting them around in his beloved backpack for two weeks. God only knows
what he'd been doing with them in the meantime, though he can't have been
playing with them too much or it seems I certainly would have noticed. (He
is an ardent collector and stasher of all kinds of things -- if something in
the house is missing, we ask Nicky, or check his secret hiding places, the
ones we know about anyway).

My husband was extremely upset and worried that maybe Nicky had been exposed
to hepatitis or AIDS or something. He was really mad at me for not being
vigilant enough at the park, although I thought I was watching the kids as
carefully as I always do, and it seemed like a nice suburban-type park. (I
was paying a lot more attention to avoiding dog poop than condoms, that's
for sure.) He puts his fingers in his mouth all the time. I'm wondering if I
should worry...

He has had all the usual vaccinations, for whatever that is worth.

I think this is an unschooling issue because as unschoolers we are more
likely to be spending time outdoors and less in a restricted environment
(like a school)...

Annette (still feeling a bit queasy)


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[email protected]

HI, I certainly can understand why you are upset. I am not certain of the
health issues here and possibly another reader would know more. But I would
think he is ok. Is it possible that they were not used but just discarded?
And maybe these items have spent most of their time in the backpack and have
not been played with. The things kids get into huh! Do not feel bad, it is
impossible to see everything that happens with these little ones. You know
you were there watching him, these things just happen.
And your son is right, they really are balloons, of a sort!
peace and grace
Candy

Lynda

there is slim or no chance of Hep B or AIDS. There might be a small chance
of Hep A, but ever so small. There are quite a few STDs that there might be
a slim chance of, herpes being one. But they are all very, very small on
the percentage scale. Just to be safe (spell that worry free), I would
check with my pediatrician.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Annette Naake" <naake1999@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2001 9:23 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] ugh!!!!!


> Speaking of diseases...
>
> A couple of weeks ago I took my two guys to visit my mom for a few days.
> Yesterday while I was at work my husband noticed the 4yo playing with a
> couple of brightly colored objects. Upon closer inspection, they turned
out
> to be *used condoms* (green and blue) which Nicky insisted were balloons
> that he had found in a park where we'd played in my mom's town! He'd been
> toting them around in his beloved backpack for two weeks. God only knows
> what he'd been doing with them in the meantime, though he can't have been
> playing with them too much or it seems I certainly would have noticed. (He
> is an ardent collector and stasher of all kinds of things -- if something
in
> the house is missing, we ask Nicky, or check his secret hiding places, the
> ones we know about anyway).
>
> My husband was extremely upset and worried that maybe Nicky had been
exposed
> to hepatitis or AIDS or something. He was really mad at me for not being
> vigilant enough at the park, although I thought I was watching the kids as
> carefully as I always do, and it seemed like a nice suburban-type park. (I
> was paying a lot more attention to avoiding dog poop than condoms, that's
> for sure.) He puts his fingers in his mouth all the time. I'm wondering if
I
> should worry...
>
> He has had all the usual vaccinations, for whatever that is worth.
>
> I think this is an unschooling issue because as unschoolers we are more
> likely to be spending time outdoors and less in a restricted environment
> (like a school)...
>
> Annette (still feeling a bit queasy)
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
>
>
>
> Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
>
> Addresses:
> Post message: [email protected]
> Unsubscribe: [email protected]
> List owner: [email protected]
> List settings page: http://www.egroups.com/group/Unschooling-dotcom
>
>