No way.
This is one time I fully embrace my J.
I don't mind contained messing though.
On this particular day I needed to organise some things in the kitchen (you know when you just HAVE to sort out that cupboard because it's driving you batty???? It can't only be me!) and I needed the kids out of the way.If my kids don't respond well to something, I put it away and try again in a few months time.Like with the playdough.We got it at our Fertility Babies Christmas party hosted by Mandy - some of you may remember D and I were very impressed by her thoughtfulness.Our kids weren't too interested for a good few months and then it was winter and too cold becausewe'd stored the playdough in the fridge.
So I piled them in the highchairs and took out the playdough.
They were very keen on the shapes and the rolling pin - thankfully Mandy included all the props too :) LOVE it!
That kept them busy with me occasionally stepping in to demonstrate and play with the squishiness. I'm VERRRRRY tactile so I had tons of fun too.
And when they've shown me they can sit still and not fling it all over my house, I also have little pastry boards I bought at the plastics shop for them to use.
Where are you on the scale? 1 is absolutely no mess in the house; 10 is kids are kids, we can always paint over scribbled walls.
I'm a 4 - I allow some mess in only some parts of the house under the right conditions - clothes protected, tables protected, etc.
P.S. I'm loving some of the new blogger features like how I can upload tons of pics all at one time. Is it just me - I can't seem to upload more than 1 pic at a time in Wordpress... or am I doing it wrong?
P.P.S. These were taken on 13 Aug.
Those are really nice pics!
ReplyDeleteI saw an easy play dough recipe on a blog that I wanted to make for Joel. Must see if I can find it.
I only allow mess in some parts of the house but I am relatively easy going about it. I do insist that they clean it up though. Joel loves cleaning up and packing stuff away, Joshua not so much. Certain things are not negotiable i.e. writing on walls. I would say that I am a 7.
We have rules but messy play is very much encouraged. They may only draw on paper, use aprons for painting,baking,cooking,etc and that's about it. My girls LOVE playdough and anything else arty/crafty. They also like washing up but that usually turns into water play. We have wooden floors in our house (and mostly leather couches)so I even let them paint on their own with water colours (in the play room). To date nothing of value has been damaged/destroyed. I find their sleeves do get a bit grubby (of their long-sleeved T-shirts-Woollies have great ELC aprons which have sleeves)and no amount of stain remover seems to get them clean but that's a small price to pay IMO.
ReplyDeleteI love the pics of the kids playing :)
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to figure out how to get the images successfully in posts on Blogger. When I upload an image and then insert it, the image is inserted on the top of the post and not where I wanted it. Don't know why :(
I am also a 4. Some messes I allow with protection where they do messy stuff. Usually when we do intend messy stuff, I let them do it outside in the backyard's pavement.
That looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind a bit of mess, but I don't like willfull destruction of things. I'm happy for Nicola to paint or draw or whatever, on the paper I provide for her. She knows that if she draws on the wall/floor/bath/kitchen cupboards etc. I take the pens away for the rest of the day and she only gets them back tomorrow. If she messed on her drawing table or even the floor around it I'm okay with that...but specifically aiming her crayon at the fridge will get it confiscated.
Painting I prefer outside. She likes to tip things over. When she stops doing that she can move it to her play table inside again.
You can insert more than one image at a time in Wordpress. When you go to upload the picture just select all the ones at you want at the same time. When it's done "crunching" it it will ask you if you want it individually or in a slide show or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI don't enjoy mess. At all. I'm ridiculously anal about neatness :(
ReplyDeleteMy girls (olivia really) is allowed to do playdough, painting etc at the kitchen table, once she has laid the plastic table cloth over the top. She's pretty good about tidying the mess up, but most times her nanny helps her out as she normally does playdough withher.
drawing, puzzles, lego, etc can happen anywhere in the house, as long as it gets tidied when they're finished.
cute pics :)
I'm much like you in that I can handled contained mess. But I loathe that contained mess to be inside. I do suck it up and let them do things, but only at the table under strict supervision. I love the warm weather because I can set them up outside. The hose is my friend!
ReplyDeleteSo I would rate my self a 5 with the proper motivation!
I must put up some of my play doh pics.
I think you and I are opposite parents :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like mess BUT my daughter is impossible to contain so I have learnt to embrace it.
By a sunday evening - if we have been home a lot - my house looks like Toys R Us has been dumped all over. Its chaos - there are dolls and cars and Barbies and books and stickers - all over.
The do know to paint etc outside but we have painted bricks and chairs and tables as a result.
Honestly it really just doesn't bug me. Yes as they get older they are learning to pack away on their own more and limit the spread of their stuff but I just work around it all!