Let Them Explore: On Keeping Kids Clean..

THAT is nigh unto impossible you will know if you have ever had small children. It is a literal fight (with them) in order to keep them relatively, and I mean Relatively sanitary. This is not their natural state. I am sure of it. My daughter prefers grime and dirt any day to smelling sweet like a daisy. At this point she has more in common with Oscar the Grouch in terms of hygiene than her own parents.
     Today, while at Ruta Maya I was hard pressed to keep her out of the puddles on the porch created by the landscaper's over zealous watering habits. So after a while I caved and let her be a wet and slimy explorer. I remembered, "she will not melt". Oh yeah, "What can it hurt", I thought? That's right. It can't. We, as adults, are so addicted to being dry and smelling like Ivory or sandalwood or whatever that we try to impose that on our kids who do not yet care about such things, God Bless 'em. Let them have water, mud, dust, dirt (in moderation), and bugs, just not doggie doo. Please....just no feces. Amen.

Age comes naturally. You have to work for Wisdom.