Moms of toddlers know that roughly 75 percent of their waking hours are spent cleaning up messes. I bet you didn’t know how adept you’d become at cleaning up spills, pulling food out of tiny spaces like ears and nostrils, and picking up toys so they don’t become tripping hazards. However, not all messes resulting from toddler activities are the same.
In fact, if we look closely, we’ll see hidden benefits for our toddlers and bonding opportunities for us beneath the mess of certain toddler activities. Here are 5 messes I don’t mind cleaning up because I know the mess was totally worth it.
1. Books
When my toddler pulls out all of her books and starts to look at the pictures, I melt. She talks to herself about the books and essentially retells the story in her own words. I know she has a love of books and I am thrilled she loves looking at the pictures and learning. So while there is a humongous pile of books strewn about, I usually just pick out a book, pick her up, and ask “How about this one?”
2. Outside Dirt
When my toddler wants to play outside, I let her play! Let toddlers get dirty, muddy, and even nearly unrecognizable. There are so many benefits to letting kids getting dirty, not the least of which is building their immune systems—and their imaginations.
3. Blocks and LEGOs
LEGOs aren’t just a pain in the foot, but they’re also one of the best toddler activities for learning and growth. My daughter pushes her block and LEGO buckets to wherever I am and unloads them. She begins building towers and creatures and then—the best part—knocks them all down. She is also developing spatial reasoning and geometry skills while having fun! If you want to avoid stepping on left-behind LEGOs or sucking them up in the vacuum, have an official LEGO blanket that has to go down before the LEGOs get dumped. Clean-up will be a breeze!
4. Shoes
This might sound like a strange one, but let me explain. One day, my daughter took out all of her shoes and tried them on—one at a time. She wrestled with the laces. She tried to figure out how Velcro works. And she took her “princess” shoes and hit them against the wall to make various noises. When I saw how much she was really learning and exploring through her shoes, I walked away and let her play.
5. Cooking
Whether we are making cookies, pizza dough, or sautéing vegetables, I always enjoy the “help” I get. Each and every time we cook, I learn more about my toddler. She measures the ingredients, spills the baking soda and draws in it, or peels the skin off the onions. Don’t lose sight of the bonding experience of cooking together because you’re obsessed with having a clean kitchen. The mess is a sign a good time was had by all!
What messes in your home make you smile?
