Puddles

I was going to write about our trip to the dairy farm. I am going to save that for another post. What I am going to post about is something that happened at the dairy farm.
First, lets get a description of the pictures.
The first picture is Ricky letting Reagan pet a worm.
The second picture is of Callum playing in an ant hill (black btw)
The third is what happened when the outing was finished.

WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR CHILDHOODS THAT STOPS US FROM ALLOWING OUR CHILDREN TO GET DIRTY?

On occasion my children get dirty. Ok, filthy. We bring a garbage bag in our van for this very reason. (This is where we place their wet clothes)
Do you realize how many dirty looks we get as parents for allowing our children to play in puddles? You can see the other parents minds reeling... Disgusting! How fast do you think I can dial my phone to get the bad parenting police here? Ahhh I can see the disease spreading now! A smiling face suddenly contorts to a look of disgust when seeing a blissfully happy yet dirty child. What is it that holds a parent back? Well yesterday was the first time I heard another parent say...oh fun and allow their children to join mine. She even grabbed her camera. I was in shock! And you know what? THAT IS SAD! If parents could see their children's faces while running through a puddle maybe they would allow it. If parents could stop worrying about what society thinks and allow their children the freedom just maybe those parents will join in the fun?

Last year we went to a park. This park is something of a high-end park as far as parks go. A neighbourhood where everyone lives in a nice house and has two nice cars kind of neighbourhood. It had rained the night before so there was a huge puddle under the swings. It started out by one of my children walking through the puddle. Maybe a few gasps from other children buy you should have seen the look in the other childrens eyes! It was wonder. It was longing. It was incredulous that a parent would sit back and watch her children literally swim like fish through this puddle. I heard a few comments like...I wish my parents would let me do that! That looks like fun! These other children wanted in that puddle so badly.
While we were walking back to our car to strip them down the parents were looking at us with daggers. WHY? I DON'T GET IT!! At these times I turn back to my children to see their happy faces instead of those other parents.

I wish people could let go of their adult smugness/uncomfortableness and let their kids be kids.
It really is rewarding! And all you have to do is throw a load of wet clothes into the wash. Seems like such a small thing to allow them that freedom, doesn't it?