This week we ran a story about Halle Berry’s daughter, who was photographed being a typical kid. At an amusement park with her famous mom, Nahla couldn’t resist licking the safety bar of the ride they were on.
As moms and dads, who among us hasn’t had our little ones sample things we’d rather they didn’t? We asked TODAY Moms readers if they could relate to kids swiping their tongues on odd things, and the overwhelming response was both “Yes” and “Yuck”!
Many, many who responded proved that their kids have totally one-upped Nahla's safety bar licking. But the mom who may claim the boasting (or cringing) rights for most outrageous thing her kid has licked is TODAY Moms Facebook fan Dena Haynes:
When my youngest son was 8 months old he toddled (he started walking at 7 months!) into the kitchen where I was cooking supper. I noticed he had something in his mouth. To MY horror, it was a teeny tiny hairless mouse!!! I tore my house apart looking for anything, a nest or something?? Never did find any more and he was too young to tell me! Yuck!
Yes, that's what she said - a teeny, tiny hairless mouse! In her son's mouth! I know! We can't get over it either.
Read on for a sampling of the other grossest things kids were caught licking. (Beware, some of these are not for the faint of heart.)
Here's April Peris' offering from our Facebook page:
I caught my 18-month-old sucking on a used plastic tampon applicator he got out of the trash can. That's his worst, but the list of grossness is long!
Hungry? Thirsty?
Some kids prefer to do their licking in the great outdoors. Aubrey Jones’ child licked dirt. Stacie Davis’ 18 month old “got down on our patio and sucked rainwater out of a puddle.”
TODAY Moms commenter JordanKR said:
We were at the carnival and my 4 year old boy decided to take a big lick of the water in the duck-pond game.
Supermarket sampling
Many parents were victims of gross licking at the grocery store. But can you blame kids? Those cart handles are just sooo tempting.
Linda Marimpietri says:
“Oh my gosh, when my son was a baby he would lean forward and clamp onto the grocery cart handle with his little mouth. Yuck!! Needless to say that we never went anywhere without a cart cover, and wipes!!!
Paula Roberts Hepburn’s was a little more discerning.
To my horror, I caught my then 2 year old putting the plastic tip of the seat belt buckle from the shopping carts in his mouth.
Going to the dogs
Pets licking kids. Kids licking pets. No difference, right? Some moms beg to differ.
Commenter Knox’s Mommy writes:
It is a bit embarrassing, as it is the most disgusting.... but it would have to be the dog's tongue! The dog would lick her and she decided to try to lick the dog back... their tongues met. I am sick just reliving it to share with you all!
And JessicaLynnO323 writes:
I have a 3 year old boy, so he's licked about everything, and tried to bite the dog (thank God our dogs are perfect angels with our son).
She adds that her son's "most recent cringe-worthy move was licking the counter at the pediatrician's office, yech!" This admission pleased one TODAY Moms editor, whose son licked the wall of a public bathroom. Double yech.
Steph Truesdale’s 2 year old went one step further than the dog. She says:
I would have a list a mile long since my 2 year old puts everything in her mouth but by far the worst thing had to be when she put a dog turd in her mouth last summer... I had no idea it was even there and when I saw her pick it up I literally felt like I was running in slow motion from across the mulch bed yelling "NO!!". It was too late. It touched her tongue. I still gag thinking about it.
So, Halle, we this to say to you: Cheer up - it could have been so much worse.
Read on for related TODAY Moms stories (just not while you're eating):
We're moms; you can't gross us out