I say this even tho my own parents did not do enough to keep me safe. There were practices in our parents’ generation that were not safe, as in pickup truck and swimming without supervision. Parents definitely want to do the right thing for their kids, but we might have been misled. It’s fascinating to see how allowing infants to experience “dirty” birth and “dirty” natural skin might set them up for a longer, healthier life. They are just now making these connections and no one can be blamed for not understanding it. I am not trying to start a mommy war here, but there is evidence that a excessively high cesarean rate (often promoted by fear tactics), immediately washing newborns, and bottle feeding may contribute to the population’s rise of certain health issues. They liken the bacteria on our skin and inside us to the full importance of an additional organ. At that moment, they are bodily covered with, inhale, drink and eat a wide array of beneficial bacteria.

The baby lives in a mostly sterile environment until birth. I just watched an interesting series about new understanding of the birth microbiome and its likely critical role in initializing our immune system with beneficial bacteria, which has been physically transferred and perfected for tens of thousands of years. – – it might go further back than the problem of helicoptering over babies. *The asterisk is mine, because swimming without supervision is yada, yada, yada. Nephew: Let’s go crazy and eat trans fats. Stephan to nephew: I don’t know whether to feel sorry for you or me. And please stay within 18 inches of him at all times. (Stephan’s sister or sister-in-law hands him a piece of paper): Here’s his list of allergies, some games that improve his cognitive skills. When I was a kid, every injury I got was treated with a pat on the head and a ‘Walk it off.’ When I was a kid I ate everything I dropped on the ground and some stuff that was already there. When I was a kid I spent every summer day in my friend’s swimming pool and his parents were rarely home.* When I was a kid I flew across the country by myself. When I was a kid, my dad drove me around in the back of his pickup truck. Stephan Pastis, forgive me for reprinting this here, but we are so on your side! And you are on ours! Here’s the link to Stephan’s reirayaranįacebook page, and his website, and - heck - his Twitter feed.Â And his road tour calendar! And for those who can’t read the strip because it’s too small on your phone, the script is below!

Pearls pastis