3rd grade paranoia

So today I read aloud an all-time favorite, "Where the Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant, to model my writing lesson. Well....proof came that the "flu buzz" has even taken over the youngest, most innocent minds. We hit a part in the book where the relatives are all jumbled together in a small house having to sleep close together and breathing on each other. I show the picture of all the relatives sleeping together (most students are laughing at how silly the picture is). One of my sweet kiddos starts breathing out loud with her mouth open reenacting the pictures (as they so love to do). The little girl next to her goes, "Please don't do that...you spread germs that way." (Of course in little minds--especially those funny boys---that says, "do exactly what she just said NOT to do".) A few others on the carpet start breathing loudly. The poor little anxious girl then goes, "No seriously, please stop. That spreads germs." She's serious. They stop. :) (Ahhh..classroom community!)

Haha...gotta love her "motherly" instincts. And don't get me wrong, I am all about having as little germs in my classroom as possible---proof comes in our constant hand washing, constant application of hand sanitizer, and daily wiping of tables with Clorox wipes. However, here's the proof that our poor little kids of the U.S. are having to live in WAY too much fear at such a young, innocent age. Maybe we should all try to chill out a little---wash our hands---and let our kids be kids.