About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
I saw the cutest and most disgusting thing last week at a restaurant. The cutest thing was a baby, who was at that six month, cuddly, most adorable stage. Then the most disgusting thing happened.
This cutest, most cuddly, baby picked up the salt shaker on the table and started sucking on it like there was no tomorrow. Now, of course, any of us who are mothers know that babies always put things in their mouths, even sand, and suck on it. And the mother did take it out of her baby’s mouth. And, as I said to my friend after witnessing this, “well, that has turned me off from ever using a salt or pepper shaker again at a restaurant!”
Even worse, the busboy started cleaning up all the tables and grabbed the salt shaker and put it on a tray with about a dozen other salt shakers from other tables. The busboy was unaware that one of the salt shakers had been sucked on by a baby. Now, I don’t work in the restaurant business, but I’m pretty darn sure that when they take the salt shakers away, they don’t actually clean them, but just refill them. So, now, whoever goes to this restaurant, and uses salt, is using a salt shaker that has been sucked on by a baby. It could be you!
As an adult, there are certain things I do not touch. If I’m at a hotel, for example, I do not touch the comforter on the bed. I also do not touch the remote control, before wiping it down with Purell (think of adult rated movies and men…exactly.) At movie theatres, I make sure I put a scarf behind my head on the seat, so I don’t get lice. But things like salt and pepper shakers at restaurants, even though I’m sure my daughter had probably sucked on one, or a few, when she was a baby, I really hadn’t thought about not using…until I saw that baby suck on it like it was a bottle.
So, for all you parents out there, don’t use the salt or pepper shakers at restaurants. (Can you bring your own?) And for all you non-parents, um, don’t use them either.
What other things do you no longer touch, or use, in public places, now that you have children? Share!
Photo credit: Paul Goyette
Follow me @rebeccaeckler
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