I know it's cliche...

.. but boys will be boys.

My friend Tonia recently wrote in her blog about picking her son up from daycare and he was dirty and sweaty and had had a WONDERFUL day riding bikes, swimming in ponds and catching frogs. She wasn't upset. But she was awed by the fact that the daycare provider had allowed the children this freedom. I am with her there. As a teacher, I cannot imagine letting other people's kids get messy and dirty outside by a pond! In the classroom with paint and glue, sure... but outside? No way! I wouldn't even take them outside in the rain for pete's sake!

But my own son. Now there's a different story. We regularly go "puddle jumping" after the rain... sometimes during the rain if there's no ligtening. We stay at the pool/ river/ lake when the rain starts... after all, we are already wet right? What's a little rain?

He also likes to play in the huge mud puddle that forms in our backyard after the rain. Thank goodness for oxy clean!

At the playground I allow him to be a boy. As long as he isn't hurting anyone. I even let him go UP the slide! Can you imagine? Much to the chagrin (sp?) of the other parents at the playground who are admonishing their own children, "We go UP the stairs and DOWN the slide" while shooting me the death glare. Ahh... such pleasantries.

One thing I don't allow is for him to pretend he is shooting people. If he wants to shoot monsters or deer or bears or lions or tigers (oh my) then I let him. But shooting people is not allowed. This again gets death glares from other parents. Huh. Interesting isn't it? It's OK for your child(ren) to shoot people... but it's not OK for them to go up the freaking slide?

I say, let them be kids. Goodness knows they don't have that chance much anymore... the world expects them to grow up so fast. Who cares if they are wet, muddy, sweaty, covered in frog slime with worms in their pockets (which, by the way, don't do well in the washing machine)? If they are happy and safe... let them be kids!

My theory is, the dirtier you are... the more fun you had :)