I have always tried to maintain an easygoing attitude when it comes to Immy getting messy.
She gardens,
jumps and splashes in puddles,
plays with sand and mud,
and feeds herself, yes, even baked beans.
I am however by no means perfect, we haven’t braved painting yet!
I always try to tell myself that it doesn’t matter as “it has to be washed anyway!” when it comes to dirty clothing, face, hands, feet, etc. Let me give you an example.
Late this morning we got back from grocery shopping (my second most despised housekeeping chore – the first is cooking, but that is a whole other story), we unpacked the shopping and then Immy needed a nappy change.
After changing her nappy, instead of putting her jeans back on I thought I will put on some comfy pants as it’s time for lunch and then off for her rest. So I put on a pair of clean trackpants and off we go. I noticed that the sun has come out (we have had alot of rain here over the past week or so) so suggested to Immy that we pop outside to check our vegetables growing in the garden. We pop on her wellington boots and I tuck her pants into them so that they will stay clean and dry, and out we go.
We are out only a couple of minutes when Immy disappears around the corner back onto our paved area. I follow her around and find her pulling out long, wet
wintergrass that has popped up between the pavers. ‘No problem,’ I think, ‘I will just put on a dry top for her to sleep in,’ as her arms and hands are now wet from the very wet grass. Then I foolishly go back around the corner to check how well our vegetable plants have survived the recent storms.
I am only gone a minute, but it is long enough. She has discovered a puddle, a very small puddle, but a puddle nonetheless. She is stomping in it. ‘No problems,’ I think, relieved that I put on the wellington boots. Then she bends over and is splashing her hands in the very small puddle. ‘No problems,’ I think, her top already needs changing. Then she…. SITS in it! For a split second I think, ‘AAAARGH, they were clean, dry pants.’ It only lasts that second, then I laugh it off and take her inside to find more clean, dry pants, a clean, dry top and some lunch. Needless to say, she wore her largest bib during lunch and we didn’t have baked beans!
Read more of Christie's adventures at http://childhood101.com.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
There is nothing I can do about Kez, she gets filthy the second we step out the front door. She loves mud and dirt and water too much I think so I don't try and stop her unless we're going out somewhere!
We need to invent an outer plastic layer that covers all of their clothing that can just be removed when we need to leave the house!
we used to have these as kids think they were called a "puddle suit" will have to ask mum what called and where she got them from (born in 1971, lived in Victoria Australia) not sure if you can still buy but was long arm long leg all in one coveralls with thin nylony plasticy feel like a thin raincoat/sailing jacket. Washable. Zip up the front. I assume waterproof?