Thursday, October 11, 2012

Being The Messy Mom :: 31 Days of Motherhood

If I had to choose one word to describe my childhood it would be "messy." 

But it would be the good kind of messy. The kind of messy that meant a kitchen table covered in newspaper and homemade play-doh. The kind of messy that meant pulling out the infamous Arts & Crafts bins from the front closet and emptying their contents all over the hallway floor. 

Messy by way of paper mache projects in the dining room, turning one of my dad's old work shirts into a painting smock, dying uncooked macaroni noodles and stringing them into jewelry, countdown chains and Christmas tree garland.

The best kind of messy. Memory-making messy.

I want my boys to grow up with the same childhood. I want them to look back on their early years and remember the three of us laying on the kitchen floor, splattered with paint, giggling like banshees when Sheepie came over to lick their paint-streaked toes. 

I want my boys to get their hands dirty and have fun doing so. I don't want my Type-A tendencies to keep them from squishing play-doh between their tiny fingers and using those same fingers to smoosh paint across the giant easel. 

I want the sticky floors, the fingerprint laden doors. I want to give that box of Magic Erasers beneath the kitchen sink the workout they deserve. 

I want to be the Messy Mom. 

The kind of messy Mom who lets her kids paint pumpkins on the kitchen floor. And their toes. And a knee. And almost their little brother




14 comments :

  1. Loved this! I definitely struggle with this since being a mom. I have to push my OCD tendencies behind me and get a little messy every once in a while with her!

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  2. Yes! We have the arts and craft bins, I just have to remember to say "yes" when they ask to get them out.

    Adorable pictures!

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  3. This is so true! I need to stop being so OCD about keeping things clean and just let him be a little boy.


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  4. I remember a messy childhood too but my mom always says her only regret as a mom is that she cleaned too much. She always tells me to leave the dusting & window cleaning until they go to college.

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  5. Forget the “Like” button; I wish I could click on the “I effing love this so much I want to print it and hang it on my refrigerator” button! This is the mom I want to be, too.

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  6. I love, love this!! I too have a type A personality when it comes to messes and such but I am working on letting that mentality go for the sake of my sweet girl! I saw a quote on Pinterest that said "Excuse the mess...my kids are making memories" and I loved it. That is the type of mentality I want to have.

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  7. i am definitely a messy mom and for all the same reasons!

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  8. I have been reading your blog for awhile and always appreciate your outlook on motherhood but this is a gem!! As a perfectionist/SAHM of 2 I have learned that messes can always be cleaned up but those moments are fleeting!! I want to be a messy mom too ;)

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  9. This is such a simple post but one that hit home for me. I'm the furthest thing from being a messy mom and it kills me whenever my mom watches my girls and freaks out if they get dirty because she knows it really bothers me. There are very few moments that I allow them to get dirty but I have to remind myself that I shouldn't ALLOW them to get dirty... They should just get dirty from time to time and when it's downright fun to get messy. Smash a cupcake in your mouth, drink from a water hose (yuck), eat with your hands (occasionally and NOT at a restaurant!!), splash in puddles, dig a worm out of the mud, run barefoot, finger paint, my list could go on and on. These are the things that make me as mom cringe but the things that children love and remember for their WHOLE lives, just like you said. So, a mess is just a moment in time for me.. But a moment that they cherish forever. Thanks so much for writing this! :)

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  10. I would love to be a messy mom too :)

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  11. I strive to be a messy mom...instead I'm mostly the having-a-panic-attack-and-then-cleaning-vigorously mom

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  12. I have glimpses of Messy Mom, but sometimes my type-A, OCD tendencies can get in the way. Love these pics of Carter painting! Love your heart, mama!

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  13. I SERIOUSLY need to learn how to be a Messy Mom. Seriously.

    *sigh*

    I clean way too much....

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  14. Love it!! I do find the Messy Mom gets tucked away for a little while when the baby starts moving, climbing, grabbing, eating haha!!

    You are wonderful.

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