Dirt and Kids Go Together

One of the many things I wish I had embraced prior to having children is this

FACT: Kids and Dirt go together.

If anyone has told you different don’t believe them, they are delirious.

If you are a mom to be, do this: write this FACT on your pregnant belly so that you don’t forget! When you’re in the middle of labor, have your birthing coach remind you every five minutes of this truth. Your little precious one may even remind you of this when he pees all over you.  After your child is born, write it on his diapers, and add to this fact another truth: Mommy with a newborn = dirty mommy. Write that one on your mirror so you remember to check your shoulders, your knees, your thighs for hand prints, spit upt, snot…. When he starts crawling it gets worse, because now he is in the pantry, in the tupperware, in the pots and pans. And if you think it couldn’t get any worse, wait until he starts walking!

Oh but wait, I forgot, it does get worse. When it’s winter season and they get sick, you might as well tape kleenex all over your body so when he comes running to wipe his nose on you, I mean give you a hug, you’re not covered in boogers.  You may be thinking, “Well, you have boys and my girls are prissy, and they hate getting dirty.”  Girlfriend, it doesn’t matter how prissy she is, little ones are just not coordinated enough to prevent food from falling off their cute little faces and onto adorabale pink little outfits.

And if dirt + kids go together, then mostly likely your house will also get dirty.  I like to keep a clean house, I write this as I sit here staring at 5 boxes full of junk in my dining room, but seriously I do. So this truth has taken some time for me to get used even though I live it everyday.

What are messiest times of the day?

• In the morning when they wake up and their diaper leaked.
• Before, during and after breakfast.
• Before, during and after they eat their snack.
• When they play, the house will look like a hurricane came through.
• When they are done playing there will be a mess.
• Before, during and after they eat their lunch.
• When they go take a nap. Yes, it’s possible that there is a mess even when they are napping.  Believe me, ask any mom.
• Before, during and after dinner.
• When they are getting ready for bed.
• After they have gone to bed, you will look around the house and think “but, but… I just cleaned this place.”

Hmmm, I guess that pretty much means the whole day.

With that said I am all for organized mess play. I have even come to terms with them getting dirty when they play, even if they are not near dirt, mud or sand….

I must admit though that I am still getting used to that being dirty and messy also means my house will be getting dirty. It’s especially hard when I have just cleaned the house and in a matter of seconds (not exaggerating) there is a mess.   I know I make it sound like my kids are dirty little boys covered in mud, sand and boogers which some days they are but most days they are just your average kid. And kids like to play and that means getting dirty and making a  mess. Even though very early on we have been teaching them to clean up their mess and they do with some strong encouragement and incentives it’s still a struggle to get them to clean up when the playroom explodes.  At the end of the day it’s all worth it!  They learn responsibility from “cleaning up” their mess, they get to be creative in the dirt, sand and mud and I get to enjoy listening in on their imaginative play!

Word of caution - don’t try to explain the mess on how it happened or why it happened.  If you make the mistake of asking them “How did they get so dirty?” They will look up at you with big, bewildered eyes, shrug their shoulders and give you that awkward smile that says, “I have no idea.”  And you will give them this stern, but also bewildered, look back because you are truly perplexed on how in the world dirt got inside their nostrils while at church?”

Gotta run - my son just woke up from his nap and he is yelling for me because he was playing with his diaper and he is now covered in urine, but I leave you with this piece of advice because I have no solution: Stay calm and always have wipes nearby.