Are Singaporean parents too OCD? Do you allow your kids to play outdoors in the dirt?

When my then 2-year-old son was playing with another toddler at the playground near my old house, his playmate’s grandfather was so afraid of him getting dirty that the child was whisked home immediately after he sat on the ground.

There was also a time when a young girl, probably 10 or 11 years old, who told me that because she and her younger brother wore glasses, their parents forbade them to watch TV. Their parents also didn’t like them playing outdoors for fear of dirt and diseases, so for entertainment, they could only read. 

And it’s no exaggeration when I say that I’ve seen kids as young as five screaming in horror at the sight of sand on their clothes, frantically trying to sweep it off. One thing led to another and arguments would erupt with other kids who tried to ‘play dirty’ – talk about spoiling the fun for everyone!

The thing is, with the rise of infectious diseases and as we see more on more posts how dirty your iPhone/bathroom sink/schoolbag/fridge really is, many parents are naturally concerned.

But is stifling fun in the name of cleanliness all worth it?

I personally am a strong advocate of outdoor play, after having learned of its positive benefits from my more liberal Caucasian friends. My own mum never stopped me from playing outside the house and cleanliness never got in the way of fun.

Research has shown that early exposure to the outdoors where microbes, germs and benign bacteria are in abundance may aid in strengthening our kids’ immune systems. If you think about it, that may be some studies indicate that children who stay in the countryside are less prone to common allergies and autoimmune disorders compared to city-dwellers.

Practising what I preach, I have always let my boy trek outdoors, build sandcastles, jump into puddles till his shoes got soaked, climb up trees and handle bugs with his bare hands since he was a toddler .Of course, he did fall sick, quite frequently in fact when he was younger. But as long as he took a good shower at the end of the day, dirt to me was secondary. My boy will be enlisted into the army in the future where training in dirt is a way of life, so I’m not looking forward to raising a potential mysophobe.

Currently at 7 years old, I’m happy to say that my son is free of allergies and has only caught the flu three times this year. Could this be partially attributed to frequent outdoor play? Probably.

Now, I’m not saying that cleanliness is bad, and it’s good to train the little ones in proper hygiene. It’s all about balance and as the saying goes – a little dirt won’t hurt!