Reclaiming Home by Gilbert Krista;

Author:Gilbert, Krista;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

MAKE MESSES

The reality of creative play is that it often creates a mess. Forts use every blanket in the house, watercolor painting requires a space to dip and brush, and cutting snowflakes out of paper leaves little white scraps all over the floor. While we like the idea of play, the reality is that we often don’t do an activity because of the potential mess. My son, Stetson, is a lemonade stand shark. He would run his lucrative home business every day of the summer if I’d let him. But every time he asks me if he can do a stand, I picture sticky lemonade spilling all over the floor, splashing drops all the way to the door. It makes me want to say, “No.” Yet, I know in my mothering core that a little inconvenience for me is worth the experience for him. I don’t have to let him do it every day, but I’m learning to say, “Yes” as often as I can. There are many things I have to say, “No” to as I raise my tribe, especially as they get older, and I’ve decided a lemonade stand is not one of them.

Designating a space in the home for creative play is a way to encourage artistic expression, and also contain the mess. I have a friend who keeps tubs full of sand and various Tonka diggers. Her preschooler opens the lid and plays, keeping the sand and the tractors inside of the tub. When he’s done, he puts the lid back on and puts the sand away. Another friend has a craft area on a counter. She keeps stickers, glitter, glue, scissors, and paper all within reach. Keeping it contained to one area of the house helps her, and yet her children always have the option to go create their masterpieces in a space that is designated for messes.

Let’s be honest. Our desire for a clean house often trumps our desire for our kids to explore and create. Ultimately we must deal with that truth and decide what is, long-term, more important. We have to mentally give our children and ourselves permission to make a mess, then let go of the need to control. It’s good for all of us. Part of learning to play again is learning how to embrace a bit of messy living.

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