Germophobia or Parenthood?

Parenthood can bring out the best and worst of people. Every day, we see new parents freaking out about dirty shopping carts and germ-infested restaurant high chairs. Public restrooms? Forget about it. I have known people who bring their own port-a-potty to avoid those nasty, dirty, evil germs!

Germophobia, a.k.a. germaphobia or mysophobia, is a pathological fear of germs. It is related to a obsessive-compulsive disorder of a need for constant hand-washing. Doesn't it seem like most parents get afflicted with this disorder, at least during the early stages of parenthood?

Now, I am a huge proponent of hand-washing and good personal hygiene (or at least using Purell when out and about) to prevent spreading or catching infectious diseases, but I am far from being a germophobe, even as a parent.

Why?

Well, for one, germs are everywhere. You can douse yourself with Purell, take three showers a day, and wear face masks everywhere you go, and you will still get sick. In fact, over-cleanliness can in some cases make you prone to certain types of infections. How? There are natural bacterial flora that reside in your gut, skin, and other body parts. These "good bacteria" actually protect you by taking up the space that could be overgrown with disease-causing bacteria

But the main reason I'm not a germophobe? I'm no longer a first-time parent. With two kids, who has the time to be obsessed with germs?