I’m a homeschooling mom of 3. So as much as I’d love to be a prolific writer I rarely, if ever, win the mama lottery combo of uninterrupted time and mental energy. So until my day to day life adjusts and lends itself more to pouring out my thoughts into long eloquent sentences, I decided I’m going to use the format of a “Top Ten” list. It will be quick and to the point. I hope this will allow me the opportunity to share my thoughts before forgetting them and without having to dedicate hours to developing paragraphs and story lines. My first top ten list was inspired by the wet, wet spring we had here. My kids were in the mud more this spring than they ever have. They LOVE mud. And I embrace the practice of letting them embrace mud. This probably makes many moms cringe. So if you’re on the “mud is icky and I don’t want it on my kids” side of the fence, here’s my mom-pinion as to why you should give it a shot some time. I know some of them are a stretch, but I had to get 10. 🙂
Top Ten Reasons You Should Let Your Kids Get Muddy
1. The Clothes Are Washable
I have very few rules about what they can wear to play in the mud. 1) it has to be something that can go in the washer and 2) no whites. My kids have drenched countless pieces of clothing in mud of all shades, textures and sources. And they haven’t ruined a single piece. I use cheap, homemade laundry detergent and it always gets the dirt out. Sometimes a little rinse in the laundry sink before tossing it in the washer helps, but most of the time that isn’t even needed. And unless you have a dozen kids, all the clothes will fit in one load. It’s worth it.
Probably The Muddiest All 3 Have Been At The Same Time
2. The Children Are Washable
You know this, but it’s easy to forget. There’s no where they can get muddy that won’t get clean (eventually). They might blow mud out of their nose for an evening (true story), but it all comes out (eventually). You may need to also rinse out your tub after they’re done, but it’s worth it.
Bathtime!
3. It Teaches Them About Science
It’s like a science class that doesn’t need taught. The littlest will learn how the water changes the texture of the ground. The older ones will notice the worms that come out when the ground gets soaked. And if they’re touching the mud, they may as well touch the worms. It’s ok- they don’t bite. They can experience the physics of how high the water splashes when they jump. They might also experience the difference between “water mud” as we’ve named it and “sticky mud”. We learned the hard way that when you cover yourself in “sticky mud” Mommy uses the hose before letting kiddos in the tub. But even with a cold hose-down, they still know it’s worth it.
Our Most Recent “Sticky Mud” Episode
4. It’s Free
This doesn’t take much explanation. You can’t say it’s not in the budget. So financially, it’s worth it.
5. It Makes Them Resilient
Let’s just say that when they’re playing in the mud they don’t complain about being wet, or falling down, or getting something on their shirt. So when a few hours later, they drip something on them and whimper and whine, you can just give them The Look and remind them of how dirty they were outside. A secondary perk is that this also works on you- once you’ve Let It Go to the extent of letting your kids bathe in mud, you loosen up and don’t panic with the little things. Now this may just be coincidence, but this was also the healthiest winter and spring we’ve ever had. I think it’s been almost a year since I last had to take a temperature or put someone to bed with a bucket. Maybe there’s something to the old theory that play in the dirt boosts your immune system! Hey- it’s worth a try!
6. It Makes Them Helpful
When they are allowed to and even encouraged to play in the mud, they won’t worry about getting dirty in other “adventures” (a.k.a. chores). They’ll maybe even enjoy it! My kids are thrilled when we spread mulch each year. They get in it up to they’re elbows and fight over who gets to spread the next pile. They love to weed the garden and don’t mind when the dirt gets flung in the process. So encouraging them to embrace getting dirty outside could pay off for everyone- it would be worth a try!
Helping Great Grandma Jean in Her Dirt
7. It Jump Starts Their Imaginations
Not that they need a story to go along with playing in a mud puddle, but my kids come up with the most creative ways to play in one mud pit. We had a spectacular mud pit in the front yard for a few weeks. They pretended it was a swimming pool complete with an imaginary diving board. Watching them “dive” into the “pool” was hilarious. Hearing their hysterical laughter at how high the mud-water would fly when they landed was priceless. Their pool got so deep that I actually had to transplant some grass from the backyard into the mud pit at the beginning of the summer but it was totally worth it!
Taking Turns Jumping Off The “Diving Board”
8. It Awakens Their Senses
Have you seen those fancy “sensory tables” on Pinterest that you can make? Well, whenever it rains, there’s a giant sensory experience ready and waiting your children right outside their door. Just make sure they’re not wearing white and let ’em loose. No craft store trip required! Because paying money for something you could do for free is NOT worth it.
9. It Wears Them Out
Playing outside in the yard wears kids out. Even my oldest at 8 years old sleeps better at night when she’s played outside that day. Swimming also wears kids out. Playing outside in the rain and the mud is basically combining those too. It’s energy VERY well spent. It’s worth it!
Not Sure If This Was After a Mud Romp, But You Get The Idea 🙂
10. The Memories (and Pictures) Will Last A Lifetime
I try and remember to take a picture after every good mud romp. It captures the messy “before” so you can enjoy the clean “after”. It captures the level of mud so it can compete for the “most mud soaked in” award. But best of all, it captures those ear to ear grins that tell you without a sound…. “It was worth it!!”
Five Slices of Home 