Someone should have warned me about the rotavirus.

All of those parenting books I read in preparation of becoming a parent didn’t prepare me for the viscous stomach virus that plagues young children. It has paid a visit to my two-year-old son five times in his short life, including three rounds in two months last spring. It spreads through contact with contaminated food and surfaces. Basically, bad hygiene.

Chances are if your toddler or preschooler is in contact with other children, he or she has experienced rotavirus gastroenteritis, which is a fancy way of saying vomiting and diarrhea. No place is safe: My two nieces and nephew all got it recently when they went to Disney World. (Not quite the souvenir they were hoping for.) All four grandchildren (my son included) passed it back and forth to one another like a game of Hot Potato last spring at Abuela’s house. The virus also made its way around my son’s day care in December.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a rotavirus vaccine for infants up to eight months old. My son’s pediatrician says there’s talk of making the vaccine available to older children.

In the meantime, I’ve got an easier, less expensive solution – wash your hands regularly! Both friends and family have accused me of being freakishly worried about keeping my son’s hands clean. I carry hand-sanitizing liquid everywhere I go and stock up on antibacterial wipes as if they were a staple of hurricane supplies. (In fact, I just reached for the Purell that sits on my desk.)

Of course, all the tubs of Purell and Wet Ones in the world couldn’t have done any good during my son’s first visit to Disney World in November: As we waited in line for the ride “It’s a Small World,” I looked down at my son and saw him licking the handrail. Didn’t find that in a parenting book either!