Do you let your children get dirty when they play? A few days ago a video was shared on Facebook in which several children appeared playing in the rain. Everything was laughter and joy, while they filled with mud when they reached the end of the slide and the rain fell nonstop.
Like many people who saw it, that video made me smile. But at the same time, it made me think about how I am in that aspect now that I am a mother. And I realized something: I never (or almost never) let my daughter get dirty when she plays outdoors. Thereafter, I decided that I should be more relaxed in that regard, and not stress if my daughter gets dirty when she plays.
The memories that remain in our memory
Watching that video reminded me of my childhood. Things were certainly very different at the time when I was a child, compared to how they are now that my daughter is small. And it is not the same to be a child in the early nineties, than in 2018.
When I was a child, I spent most of my time playing in my backyard. My sister and I used to explore every corner, playing to be explorers in the middle of the jungle, because there were many trees and plants perfect to do so. We watched television, of course, but it was never more interesting than playing outdoors, accompanied by our dogs.
I remember some summer afternoons, lying in a pair of hammocks under the shade of the trees, after a few hours of play in the garden. When it rained, we could go out and play in the mud and make some "culinary creations" that we decorated with small branches and leaves that had come off the trees. Does any of this sound familiar? Do you also remember your childhood?
Thinking about all this, also made me think about the things I forgot about those happy and carefree days. I do not remember the clothes, hairstyles, ties or shoes I used when I was a child. But what I do remember and I will surely never forget, are those afternoons of games and laughs.
Why, as a child, I loved to play in the mud and now that I am a mother, I didn't like my daughter to do it at all? Perhaps because I fear that he may get sick, or that somehow this has other consequences on his health. It could also be that we now feel pressured to have our children well dressed and impeccable, to avoid that based on that they think about our performance as mothers.
For whatever reason, I realized that a child's smile and happiness are more important and valuable than a clean t-shirt. Let the children be children, it is those little moments that make the childhood of our children something magical and that will last forever in their memories.
Recently, we went to my daughter's school to visit a children's museum in our city. At the end of the tour, there were about 30 minutes left before the transport returned for us, so teachers and parents waited in the garden of the museum where there were some games for the children, including a sandpit.
At the beginning and as they were wearing the uniforms, some moms asked them not to play there, but after a few minutes and without saying anything, we all opted to let them have fun. It was inevitable to smile when seeing the whole group laughing while playing with the sand and another game that had water. In the end the children ended up full of dirt and some mud, but nothing that a bathroom and the washing machine could not remedy.
A little dirt also has its benefits
Actually, letting children get a little dirty has more benefits than focusing on being extremely hygienic. Some time ago we shared precisely that excessive hygiene weakened the immune system and this made children more likely to suffer from certain allergies.
Of course, everything must be with measure, and with this I am not saying that we let children be dirty all the time or that we do not encourage hygiene habits, but it is a way of remembering that nothing will happen if we let them get dirty occasionally, because it is also beneficial for them.
Photos | Pixabay
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