Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

My MIL, who should win an award for being the most passive aggessive/opinionated woman on earth, was here this weekend for the Baptism (she live in TN, Thank God!).

She spent the whole weekend telling me and anyone who would listen that I "treat my DS like he is a second or even third child already". By that, she meant, that I am not super careful and probably that I am a terrible mother.

These were a few of the germ related things that she was really nasty about and told me I was doing wrong.
1) letting my dog kiss my baby
2) not rinsing the binky if it fell inside the house and didn't have obvious dirt on it.
3) Letting my DH pretend to eat my DS's nose. (his mouth touching his nose was dirty.)

I don't know if it was the way I watched my mother raise kids.. but, I am relaxed. And I THINK it's a good thing. I was the oldest of 4 kids, in 7 years.. plus two more stepkids soon after. We were rough and tumble, 5 second rule, stand up brush off the dirt, germs help to build an immune system, kids. And guess what? We are all fine. I am not by any means a germ phobe. I even object to antibacterial soaps in a house because they breed supergerms. Sooo... that's how I am raising my kid.

But, of course.. I am a Mom and already live by guilt and now she has me beating myself up. Is it wrong to let my dog kiss my baby?
(P.S., She also had me in tears about starting daycare next month. She was awful about that too. She walked by and said, among other comments, "I hope that they don't just let him sit there and cry all day. Some day cares do that" ) Yeah.. she's a piece of work.

ETA: DS is three months old now. So I have relaxed a lot more with him and the dog. She used to only be allowed to lick his feet.

Message edited 8/11/2009 5:07:55 PM.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

awww don't worry about it, I've done everything you listed plus worse stuff.

In answer to your OP, yes DS gets licked by our dog all day long. We try and stop it though mainly because it irritates my DS's excema.

But, my DS laughs and loves it.

Now when they french kiss (which they both love) I stop it right away.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Your MIL would have a field day with me...

Yes. I let Fred lick her. She laughs HYSTERICAL when he does it... especially her hands and feet.

No, I do not rinse the binky in the house. In fact, I sometimes pick off a dog hair and give it back to her

AND I basically make out with Sadie....I smother her in kisses all over ALL day long. Tell MIL to shove it!!!

Oh and no daycare I have ever been to EVER let a kid sit there and cry all day. I let MY OWN DAUGHTER cry way more than I ever let anyone elses kid cry when I worked at a daycare center.

Message edited 8/11/2009 4:52:09 PM.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

I guess I am lucky that she lives very far away!

Thanks for making me feel better about that. I don't understand why people go out of thier way to make new Mom's feel so bad about everything they are doing?

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Yes!!

Caught in the act:

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Of course... I can't stop it and I don't want my dog to hate the baby if I'm always keeping him away from Mason. Mason loves it and I usually only let him lick his feet... if he gets hands or something else I'll baby wipe it immidiatly. I usually baby wipe his feet during the day when I change him just b/c.

Oh, and I don't clean the paci every time it drops either. If it falls upward I take a look and it's fine... if it falls down sometimes I rinse it... depends.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

I only let the dog lick her feet. I wipe her feet after. He got her face once! i didn't freak out.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

I probably wouldnt let the dog lick my newborn, but after the baby is a little older, i would and do. We wash ds's hands right after. It allows the dog and the baby to bond. After all they will be buddies in the future.

As far as the pacifier on the floor, we dont wash it each time i sometimes lick it myself to clean it and stick it back in ds mouth.

and i'm not even acknowledging the nose thing, i think it is ridiculous.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Mmm they love to lick hands and toes, especially after she ate.

The first 3 months I was NEUROTIC about them licking her....then again, I was NEUROTIC about EVERYTHING

Now, its all good! She gets SOOOOOO EXCITED and Happy when they come near her and her LOVES to "pet" them.

Actually watching them interact with her and seeing how much JOY she gets from them has helped to remind me why I love them so much. I had a hard time adjusting to them and the baby in the beginning since they acted out a bit upon her birth (they are young dogs (26 and 14 months)


She doesn't take a binky but, things fall on the ground, its cool. "Toro" our youngest puppy chared his "bone" with her the other day I found him holding it up next to her while she was in the jumperoo and she was gnawwing on it

oh well.....

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

"Toro" our youngest puppy chared his "bone" with her the other day I found him holding it up next to her while she was in the jumperoo and she was gnawwing on it

oh well.....









ETA: It's kind of sweet on Toro's part too!

Message edited 8/11/2009 5:06:06 PM.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

I don't have a dog, but if I did, I would not have a problem with the dog licking DS. I tend to be one of the more "laid back" moms when it comes to dirt and germs.

Besides, I can't imagine how you could stop a dog from licking a child every second of the day. They will get to them eventually!

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

We never let our dog lick/kiss the kids (or us). While I personally do think it's gross, I don't think anyone is a terrible parent/person if they do. I say to each it's own. I also would NEVER tell someone they were a bad parent if they did.

ETA: I consider myself a pretty laid back mom. I'm not a germaphob at all. If the paci falls on the floor and I'm not near water as long as there's no visible dirt/dog hair it goes back in his mouth after a quick wipe.

Message edited 8/11/2009 5:43:19 PM.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Posted by sfp0701

"Toro" our youngest puppy chared his "bone" with her the other day I found him holding it up next to her while she was in the jumperoo and she was gnawwing on it

oh well.....

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Oh please, your dog's mouth is probably cleaner than your MILs

But yes, my DS has been licked by my dog,as have quite a few other LIF babies and they are all two now and lived to tell the tale

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Wow! Your MIL sounds like a total assshole!! Did your DH say anything to her? Did you? Sounds to me like you and your DH are raising your child to be unafraid of your dog and to love animals. As far as the other germ comments she made... give me a break! I am sure your house isn't a pig pen! I don't wash the paci if it fall son the floor either. As for the daycare comment, that was just a very mean-spirited and quite gauche thing to say to you!! If I were you, I would probably tell her to go fuuck herself. But then again, I'm a biitch like that. Hang in there honey. You are doing a fantastic job!!

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Posted by twinkletoes807

Wow! Your MIL sounds like a total assshole!! Did your DH say anything to her? Did you? Sounds to me like you and your DH are raising your child to be unafraid of your dog and to love animals. As far as the other germ comments she made... give me a break! I am sure your house isn't a pig pen! I don't wash the paci if it fall son the floor either. As for the daycare comment, that was just a very mean-spirited and quite gauche thing to say to you!! If I were you, I would probably tell her to go fuuck herself. But then again, I'm a biitch like that. Hang in there honey. You are doing a fantastic job!!

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Posted by sfp0701

Posted by renee92405

I only let the dog lick her feet. I wipe her feet after. He got her face once! i didn't freak out.

See my doggies goes right for his face everytime. He loves it. I try not to allow the tounge in the mouth.. but sometimes she gets him before I can pull her away. She sneaks it in. We will be laying there and she will be sniffing him and before I know it.. she's licked his face. Usually only one lick and I grab her back. But, she does get him in the face at least once a day.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

yes, my dog kisses dd all the time

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

Posted by renee92405

Posted by sfp0701

Posted by renee92405

I only let the dog lick her feet. I wipe her feet after. He got her face once! i didn't freak out.

See my doggies goes right for his face everytime. He loves it. I try not to allow the tounge in the mouth.. but sometimes she gets him before I can pull her away. She sneaks it in. We will be laying there and she will be sniffing him and before I know it.. she's licked his face. Usually only one lick and I grab her back. But, she does get him in the face at least once a day.

We have a 1 year old boxer. He is a big clown! His tounge is bigger than her head! He is a lover. If he could lick us all day he would. He just wants to give our DD love and kisses!
I don't let him lick her hands b/c these days her hands are always in her mouth. And her face is sensitive. If it happens, I just wipe her down.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

my dog is in love w/ reilly and kisses him all day. its fine!

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

our dogs lick dd all the time, the other day she was taking the bone from one of thier mouths and then put it in her own (i swear this kid thinks shes a dog, we have 6)

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

My dog is always trying to lick DS, and it makes me crazy. I tell my dog no and push her away, but she comes back and gets a few licks in. What can I do! My DS doesn't mind, he loves the dog.

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?

omg dont listen to your MIL

although Im not big on the dog kisses thing (its mostly bc Im just not a dog lover) the binky thing and eating the nose thing are things Ive always done with DD

Re: Do you let your dog lick/kiss your DC?