What is the five second rule? The concept that a food item can sit in whatever pile of dust and debris and somehow gain more germs over time seems ludicrous. If I dropped my shirt in a pile of mud, would it really be more muddy five seconds later than the moment it plunged into the mud in the first place? As a parent of four however, no matter the logic behind the decision, the answer is unequivocally, YES! Any item coming into contact with the floor is less contaminated within the first five seconds than any amount of time thereafter.
I was told before I became a parent that my concept of the five second rule would evolve with the number of children I had. At the time, I wondered and worried a bit about this statement since my five second rule was already quite flexible depending on the circumstances. I was very proud when Kaden was born, that I was able to watch my child eat food from the kitchen floor without completely losing my mind. In fact, I managed a pretty easygoing acceptance of the chaos of childhood and did not stress too much about the food scavenged from the floor.
Three more children later, I have begun to ponder how my outlook on parenting has morphed with the number of children I have. I know I have had to worry less about the small stuff and have a much better concept of the big picture and how to achieve it in the most efficient manner possible. I now understand the value of letting four wiggly children play in the rain, knowing they will be covered in mud by the end, but desperate for the activity that will keep them busy long enough for me to get something equally important accomplished. This is my new reality.
I love the moments that bring clarity to who you are as a parent, while surprising you at the same time. During the holiday break, my best friend and her husband brought their brand new two-month-old baby girl for a visit. Having waited many long, agonizing years to have a baby, you can imagine how overjoyed they have been with their new addition. This little girl is on the receiving end of so much love and devotion; I am not sure there is a baby more loved in this world.
My friends arrived at my home with their bundle of joy at lunchtime. I was frantically serving plates, getting refills, and attempting to keep four little children in their chairs, napkins in their laps, bibs on, food on the table, and mouths chewing, with as much organization, and as little chaos as possible. As I greeted this beautiful baby, I smiled to see her perfect pink dress with matching shoes and bow in her hair. She was dressed to the nines and nothing about her appearance was left out. She was absolutely adorable, from the top of her head, to her little toes, she was one put together baby.
Just as I began to oooh and ahhh over this darling baby girl, I was distracted by Gabriel as he began to methodically throw his lunch on the floor (yes, this is his current method of letting us know he is done eating). I turned quickly to grab his plate and the first thing I noticed was the bib hanging around his neck. It was pink…and said, “Thank heaven for little girls!”… I immediately laughed, looked back at my friend’s perfectly dressed baby girl and thought, there was probably no chance this teeny baby would be wearing a blue, “Thank heaven for little boys!” bib anytime in the near future.
Apparently, things do evolve as your family size increases. Even if I had a pink bib when Kaden was little, I cannot imagine I would have used it. With Gabriel however, a bib is a bib and color has no affect on its function. Tellingly, the color of his bib had not crossed my mind until I began comparing him to my friend’s daughter. I guess things really do evolve with the number of children you have.
I have decided not to look too closely at my current definition of the five second rule. I think I am a little terrified to find out exactly how long a food item has to be on the floor before I deem it off limits. Maybe there is such a thing as too much introspection. In the mean time, I have decided a bit of ignorance will be my bliss. Today, I have four happy, healthy children who, as far as I can tell, have not been irrevocably damaged by eating food off the floor or wearing the wrong color bib. Thank God for small favors.
Four Under Five 