Keeping Farm Kids CLEAN *picture overload*

[MandyH]

My grandad always said if you weren't dirty, you didn't do nothing. Well you can tell most days by looking at me and DD that we did PLENTY. I love that my 4 year old would rather be outside making mud pies than sitting in front of the TV. I also let her play in the rain, bathe her puppy, run naked thru mud puddles. They are only little once, let them be kids. And mine always comes running up to me, dripping mud from her hair and says "mama, we're makin memories ain't we". That always tickles me to death.

 

[Ferngully]

If that is the dirtiest your kids have been in pictures, then they aren't dirty enough

I have pics of 2 of my older boys playing in a clay mud puddle, they were having the best time of their lives. The were so dirty, we ran a hose to a shower outside and handed them soap to clean off some before we could let them in for proper showers (which by the way they thought was the coolest thing ever). Now that is dirty.

DD.......can hardly ever keep her clean. If there is mud to be had, or a water puddle she is there. If there is digging to be done, she is right there. It seeems she is always building something outside, a playhouse, a dog agility course, sometimes her brother chimes in and they make military style obstacle courses (jump this, low crawl under that, scale this).

They are getting plenty of fresh air and exercise and they are getting to be a kid. I am sure there are people who can't believe I would let my children do those things, but they are only young for so long and have the freedom to imagine and dream freely before the reality of adulthood comes to knock on their door.

 

[chickaddict]

You can't have childhood without a few mud pies.

This thread promted me to look through a few pictures.

The cleaned up kid pictures were rarely taken at home.

 

[Chickenmaven]

I get the BIGGEST kick out of my neighbor's daughter. Dad (neighbor) has custody of his 6 y.o. girl and older boys every other weekend. Mom sends daughter in every frilly pink thing imaginable. That does not deter the child in the least. She is jumping off the porch, spreading grass seed, riding the 4-wheeler and keeping up with older boys in sundresses, tights, whatever! Take that, Mom! I bet those frills are FILTHY by Sunday evening...

Kids have got to be kids!

 

[insiderart]

LOL! DD is 9. We have an entirely separate set of clothes for outside. I'm here to tell you after a day of playing with the neighbors, horses, chickens, playing at the pond, rolling in the grass (or dirt) those clothes are something else. As long as she isn't wearing her nice school clothes it's whatever rocks her world.

 

[mullers3acers]

My dh's family and I went to my BIL's 10 acer farm in IL several yrs ago to visit and my nephew was about 6 or 7. Parents went back to the hotel for a couple of hours and left the nephew with dh and me. Mom is one of those parents were the child is not suppose to get dirty. Well he began to play in the dirt and looked at me as if he did something wrong. I told him to get as dirty as he wanted it didn't bother me. Mom didn't talk to me for months after this. Kids are allowed to get dirty. How else are they going to explore the world.

 

[emvickrey]

One of my grandsons is his happiest when hes muddy. If he sees dirt or mud, he's in it. Ie we want him to stay clean because we are going somewhere, he has to stay inside.

Grandpa had dug a hole to put the post in for a basketball hoop for them. While he was inside resting from the digging in the heat, the boys where outside, in their underwear, filling the hole with water. When we discovered it, the oldest had helped the younger one down into the hole with water in it. Then after he got all good and covered in mud he climbed in. But the younger one couldn't lift him out. Grandpa had to. I got a pic on my cell phone then the phone died and I lost it. But if there was a contest for the dirtiest kids, they would have made me rich. They looked like statues they where so muddy. I hosed them off then made them strip and go take a bath.

No worries though folks. The hole wasn't deeper than either of them are tall or wide enough they could have bent. The water never went past the little ones neck.

When the grandson in the pic comes to visit, he has to wear his rubber boots because we know if there isn't any mud, he will make it and rubber boots are easier for him to take off than shoes.

 

[thecochincoop]

in the summer that is what the hose if for

works wonders and the washer is right by the back door, so it is strip off and get to the tub before bed. If mine is too dirty I just take food outside so he doesn't have to come in the house

 

[twentynine]

Grandpaw always said " a kid has so much dirt to eat before he grows up."

 

[Camelot Farms]

Kids + Dirt =

Our neighbor sits for her grandkids quite often and they love to play outside and get filthy grungy dirty...but she has to give them a bath and put clean clothes on them before mama picks them up cause she has a total meltdown if they get dirty...

She wont even let them come to play at our house...roflmbo!!