“It’s normal for kids to get sick randomly… right?” I asked. “That’s just part of growing up.”
But even as I said the words out loud, there was this nagging “mother’s intuition” in the back of my mind wondering…
“What if these ‘24 hour bugs’ my kids get so often aren’t just coincidence… what if it’s something I’m doing (or NOT doing) that’s to blame?”
As I shared my concerns with a girlfriend I trusted, Penny—also a mom—she asked me the STRANGEST question:
“When was the last time you cleaned their toothbrushes?”
“WHAT?! CLEANED their toothbrushes??” I asked.
“Aren’t toothbrushes self-cleaning? You just put the toothpaste on them and that cleans them, right?”
Turns out, I couldn’t be more wrong.
Apparently, Penny’s dentist told her that your kid’s toothbrush is often the third dirtiest thing in your house1. (Just after your soaked-in-filth dish sponge.)