Is the toilet seat really that dirty?

I was shopping in Target the other day and Grace and I stopped for a bathroom break. On our way in, I saw a women in one of the "handicapped" electronic carts with her 2 kids needing to use the restroom. She looked like she had broken her foot or leg or twisted her ankle b/c she had a big black cast up to her knee. My first instinct was to offer help, but I thought if someone did that to me, would I take it? Probably not. So I declined..then I saw that she did have her mother with her. As Grace and I proceeded into the restroom, locked the door to the stall behind us, I heard the mother and her daughter come in. As Grace and I finished up, they were still in their own stall using the restroom and, with much frustration in her voice, the mother says "NO! don't touch the toilet, No, please don't touch the toilet, don't touch the toilet!!!" Now, we can only imagine what a tough time this young mother is having with 2 kids and no 2 legs to walk on! I immediately knew one thing I would have logged in my gratitude journal that night! But it got me thinking. How dirty are our toilet seats to invoke such passion behind her demands?? I mean, let's be real? how dirty are our butts anyways? unless you walk around naked everyday, most butts are covered with pants and aren't being touched by many hands (insert funny joke here). Can they really be all that dirty? So I found this article:

10 Dirtiest things you touch every day!

I won't spoil the fun, but toilet seats are in there behind a few other things I bet we don't keep our kids from touching on a daily basis or even think twice about it.

So to this mother's defense, I don't tell my kid to rub her hands all over the toilet seat either and I'm pretty  avid about her not touching it, but I'm also washing hands before we leave and very aware that there are many more dirty things that my kids are touching on a daily basis that could give them much more germs than a toilet seat.

My little secret...

As I shopped at whole foods today with 2 little ones in tow just to pick up a few things (I'm there like every other day!), I was greeted with smiles, excuse me's, and "oh, i remember those days" comments. When we go to the store we have those carts with the seats in front where the kids can drive and feel like they are having some fun while shopping. I actually love that my youngest at 16 months has finally gotten to the point that her and Grace, my oldest at 4, can interact pretty well now. And I"m pretty amazed with how well they behave throughout the whole store until we get to about the dairy section. I even had a comment from an older man "i think your load is a little wider than you think! LOL." Savannah was hanging out the side dragging her hand along the floor as I pushed the cart and I didn't even notice! So, I saw that it was now time for me to bring out the big guns...that's right, the end all, be all, the power, the ever saving, almighty........COOKIE! "Because ya'll have both been so good, who's ready for a cookie!?" ME!!!!, Grace announces.
I grab the cookie, a vegan one I might add that are really good, and proceed to checkout. As I'm checking out, I give them the final bites as the last bag is loaded into the cart. And the "grocery bagger girl" (sorry for the bad terminology) says to me "ahh i was wondering what you're secret was. they are being so good." uh huh....that's it.....the infamous all too boring...cookie! but here's the trick, I only get 1 and i split it 3 ways (uh yes, I want some cookie too, are you kidding? it's vegan. that's not bad!!) so this way I am using a little sugar to induce good behavior but not so much where I pay for it later. You parents know what I mean.
As we are walking to the car, Grace requests some more. "It's all gone, Grace. we ate it all. you, me, and Savannah. we split it 3 ways!"  Sneaking the rest of the bakedgoods bag into my purse, I load the groceries, get kids buckled in in, buckle myself in and finish off the rest of the cookie. Shhh..don't tell anyone my little secret.....and all too late to notice I walked the whole grocery store with my jacket inside out. go figure!