The fact that babies put things in their mouths is not news, even to those who aren't fans of the pint-sized humans. Another item that isn't news is that when people see a baby, they do one of three things:

  1. Pinch or rub the baby's cheeks
  2. Stick a finger out so the baby can grab on, then marvel out loud about how good a grip the baby has
  3. Pretend like they don't exist, and avoid making eye contact at all costs
Those who fall into category 3, I've got no problems with you. Carry on.

Future parents, you have to worry about those who fall into categories 1 and 2. Since the birth of my son, I have been painfully aware of how often people rub their eyes, pick or rub their noses, or pick at their teeth, all with the same fingers that they stick out towards your baby. KNOWING that babies put their hands (and everything else in their reach) in their mouths, why would you subject this baby to your snot? Or saliva or tears? Would you dig in your nose and then put your finger directly in a babies mouth? Of course not! Yet by touching the baby's hand after rubbing your schnoz, this is essentially what you are doing.

But this is not a message to those in categories 1 and 2, this is a message to future parents. Don't let me get off track. (Did I mention I'm on vacation and I have an IQ of 130?) Parents, you will have to reconcile your politeness with your desire to keep your kid from ingesting your neighbor's snot. For those who are typically polite and soft spoken, this is tremendously difficult, no matter who the offender is. With family members, it's tricky. You don't want to imply that your family members are dirty, so saying "are your hands clean?" may be considered offensive to them. With strangers, you don't want to come across as being weird or rude, saying "um, please don't touch my child, because I don't know where your hands have been." Really, there are very few situations where the parent comes out looking good. And it's unfair, because you're just looking out for the welfare of your kid.

For little babies, I advise you to put their hands in those no-scratch mittens, which serve the double-purpose of preventing facial scratches and deterring strangers from touching their hands. But once the kid gets old enough to pull or bite these mittens off, you're on your own. People will typically ask permission before picking the baby up, so it's easy to say "yes, but we have a hand washing rule." But people don't ask permission before (essentially) sticking their snotty fingers in your baby's mouth. So when they go to do it and you stop them, it makes you seem all the more rude. But you know what? You're a parent. Time to grow up and set some rules, not just for your kid, but for those adults who interact with him/her.

Just keep in mind that your job as a parent is to keep your kid safe. And while keeping the kid safe from R-rated movies gets a lot of press, keeping the kid safe from Uncle Willie's boogers is important too, because it has a direct impact on your kid's health. What's more important than that?