How Do You Feel About Hand-Me-Downs?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

08 Sep 2011 11:53 PM

"Mommy, what is fungus?"

Not exactly the type of question you want to hear from your second grader at the end of the first day of the new school year.

Actually, it's not the type of question I ever want to hear from my kid unless she is reading a Science book.

Yet, it was exactly the question my daughter lobbed my way as we drove home last week.

"It's a kind of spore... like mold that grows on... well... it feeds on materials like..." I stopped myself.

"It's really gross, icky stuff that you don't want to touch."

"Why do you ask?"

This is why no parent wants to be asked, "What is fungus?"

"Oh, because [classmate that will remain anonymous] got it on her foot from wearing her cousin's shoes," my daughter shared before adding, "she showed it to us today at recess."

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat!

So glad school's back in session.

The next day I had time to chat with some of the other parents whose children were in the audience for the great fungus reveal. Come to find out, the kid with the traveling fungus allegedly got it from a pair of hand-me-down shoes.

Personally, I hesitate to believe anything I hear from secondary sources, but it does bring up a good point about hand-me-downs.

I'm all for saving money at consignment stores and thrift shops. What's more, I willingly accepted clothing that my friend's children have outgrown. However, I don't do hand-me-down shoes.

Call me pretentious, a snob, someone with mile-high standards, whatever, but I'm just not comfortable having my child stick her tootsies in a set of strange, already worn stomps.

Feet sweat. Sweat is wet and it stinks. And that goes double for little feet.

I realize that Crocs can be sanitized in a dishwasher (though, I don't know why you would consider that cleaning method) and sneakers can be thrown in the washing machine with a little bleach to kill bacteria that breeds foot fungus, but I still don't go there.

I put my foot down when it comes to hand-me-down shoes.

What about you? Do you have standards when it comes to (gently) used clothing for kids?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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