With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of a very popular outdoor attraction for toddlers – mud puddles. Much to the dismay of many parents, toddlers seem to have a knack for finding mud puddles and an uncontrollable desire to splash in very single one that they can find. Parents have many different opinions about whether to permit their little ones to play in the puddles, and my opinion is just that – my own.
Dylan loves to play outside and I can see and feel the effect that it has on him. When he is able to spend time outdoors, the other parts of our day usually go a lot more smoothly. He loves to splash in puddles, and I don’t stop him from doing it. The way I see it, we have quite a few rules about what he can and can not do in the house as far as making big messes and causing general destruction. My husband and I like to keep a tidy home, and I try very hard to help Dylan understand the importance of respecting property.
Being a toddler can be frustrating with rules to follow and grown ups telling you what you may and may not do. I believe that every toddler needs some times and places where he or she can call the shots as long as safety is not at risk. Outdoor play is one of the areas where Dylan has a lot of freedom to choose what he does. Since mud puddles are a part of that, I simply prepare for him to enjoy them and then watch as squeals, laughter, and huge smiles happen along with the splashing and stomping.
Preparing for puddle play is not difficult. When there are puddles outside, I dress Dylan in play clothes and rain boots. Before we go out, I place a change of clothes and a towel by the door. While we are outside, I only concern myself with whether he is getting cold in addition to being wet and whether he is acting safely. Other than that, he can explore the wonders of water, mud, sticks, and stones to his heart’s content. When we go inside, I either change him right at the door or if he’s head to toe mud I undress him, wrap him in the towel, and head for the tub. Either way, he gets clean and dry before getting mud everywhere. We both get what we want – he gets to play in the puddles and I get to see him have fun and have a clean house.