How dirty do you let your kids get outside?

Kiddos were outside playing this afternoon and I took my eyes off them for two minutes and come back to them playing in the mud/dirt and water puddles. Asked them a few times to stop and play with something else. I walked away and came back to them flinging the muddy water at each other. They were covered. I called my sister to vent and she says the age old phrase "They're just having fun!". :woah:

So I'm not sure if I'm just really too controlling (and not to mention that I really don't like to get dirty - working on that ... I realize I have 3 little monsters.) or what.

How dirty do you let your kids get when they are playing outside? Would you have just remarked again about not playing in the muddy water or would you have let them jump right in?

 

I let my kids get as dirty as they want! In my mind, they are having fun, not fighting with each other, not bugging me and they are being normal boys!!

I used to say that if at the end of the day when they come in the house and there isn't any dirt on them, they haven't had a fun day. I would rather hose them off outside (in the summer) or give them a bath every night. I like when its hot out because the last thing they do at night is swim in the pool so thats their bath :rotflmbo:

Sounds like you have 3 normal kids. I guess I would redirect them to something that isn't so dirty if it really bothers you. Make sure you tell them to stay away from the puddles when you go outside.

 

I'd let them get dirty, it just hasn't happened much yet, lol. Although yeah, I probably wouldn't let them play in the mud either...

 

Depends on when in the day it is, if it's later in the day closer to bath I let them loose, if it's first thing in the morning and we have things to do later on I don't let them go as nuts. I'm not a big dirty fan either and sometimes I have to remind myself that they are just kids and that they are having fun and that it will all come off in the bath .

 

I wish I was as easy-going as I'd like to be. I get it from my husband mostly. If my boys were to roll in the mud and then run in to the house (even without the muddy shoes on), I could imagine my husband having and early heart attack. Dirty mess is a big issue with him. I am definitely more lenient than he is. I could imagine if he weren't around, I'd only require they remove their shoes outside of the house and then go straight to the bathroom and remove their clothes, but I would not stop them from having their muddy fun while outside. So in this household, playing with the mud is out of the question. They can play some in cleaner puddles, but mostly they need to stay in the grass or on the driveway.

 

We live on three wooded acres. My kids get dirty! I love that they can run and play and be kids. BUT, they don't get to track it in the house. And once they've decided to come in and get cleaned up, they're done for the day. And of course if we have other places to be later, I wouldn't want them getting filthy.

 

As long as:

1. They are dressed in play clothes and wearing muck boots or old shoes (or no shoes at all, LOL),

2. We don't have to be somewhere in a short time so there wouldn't be time for a bath,


I really don't care how dirty they get.

 

Ditto above!! I have pics of my girls COVERED in mud and goo...I am fine with it as long as they come clean!

 

Ditto! I also make mine strip in the garage and go straight to the bath I sometimes have to remind myself that the dirt will come off of ME as well so I can jump in and have fun with them

Sounds totally normal!

 

They strip before they come in the house and it is straight to bathtime. Sometimes they get a shower first to get the big stuff off and then a bath. We often go hiking and the boys get filthy so it isn't unusual for them to ride home wearing nothing but a pull up. They are pretty well trained to strip when we get back to the car.

It is only dirt.

 

I've never thought to stop my kids from getting messy or dirty while playing outside. It's interesting how we all worry about different things! But yeah - my kids frequently get dirty, especially at preschool where burying each other in dirt (it's more like sand where we live) is a popular game. One of the teacher even digs "prairie dog holes" that the kids play in and pop in and out of, so they're always covered in a fine layer of dirt and dust. I usually just strip them down in the entry way and send them straight to the bathtub.

If you're not completely comfortable with getting messy yourself, it's probably hard to reconcile letting your kids get dirty. Maybe set some limits for yourself - you will stop them from getting dirty if you don't have time to do a bath that night, or you will stop them from getting dirty if ??? (whatever matters to you), and then let them play and get dirty at all other times.

 

I at least stop them from drinking puddle water. Mine are allowed to get dirty unless we have somewhere to do. We don't necessarily have mud pits in the yard but after a good rain and a couple of falls/trips they usually have a good layer of dirt. I don't see it as any worse than how messy they get at dinner. Mine are still messy eaters so they come away with watermelon/blackberry/spaghetti sauce all over their faces and yogurt all over their shirts. I'm going to be cleaning their laundry no matter what so it doesn't matter if they get dirty outside or inside.

 

Mine love to get dirty! I don't know how I would stop them. I do have to say sometimes I have to bite my tongue to not discourage them from the mess, but thankfully our wonderful sitter lets them get as dirty as they want and usually has them pretty much cleaned up by the time I get home from work.

 

Here here!! I live in a rural neighbourhood, and it's very common to see my kids running around outside convered in mud/dirt/leaves. Or running around naked covered in dirt. I actually have pictures of the twins making dirt angels in my greenhouse!

 

We have play clothes..I still let them get as dirty as they want. It all washes off. I wasn't htis way with my son, and I learned what things really bother me and what things I can let go, and playing outside and getting dirty is one of those things I just let go.

 

when it's warm enough mine often take off all their clothes and cover themselves in mud in our backyard. they also get muddy at the park a lot of the time (we live across the street). as long as it's not in my house, i am fine w/it. they always dust off or remove clothes before coming in, and wash hands, feet, and face. that's just a given that they know before even getting dirty.

, jl

 

This is how I feel. Part of the fun of being a kid is being able to play & get dirty. If they are really dirty, we just head straight for a bath or shower when they come in.

 

Those are the things they will remember when they are grown!!

 

As dirty as they like unless we have to leave to go somewhere soon. I do remind them to keep their head and hair clean if they do not want to wash their hair - mine absolutely hate washing their hair/having it washed and I have to hold two screaming and flailing children in the shower or tub to get the job done, so we all prefer to avoid this.

The only thing I am strict about is not bringing all that dirt into the house and washing hands and faces immediately when we come in (feet too in summer). Depending on how bad it is I may even undress them completely on the steps leading to the front door.

 

Don't feel bad, you aren't alone. I don't really like it when my kids get super dirty either. I just freak out when I see them heading for a mud puddle or something. Luckily most of the time it isn't an issue because they either play in our yard or at the park where there is grass/rocks and not a whole lot to get dirty with.

 

My boys get absolutely filthy. Lol. I let them play however they want, they love dirt and mud. I figure it all washes off so why not.