A Little Dirt Doesn't Hurt

Yes, this is a cliché, but it’s also quite true ….. and you’d be surprised how many parents think this philosophy is insane.

Case in point:  we were at a McDonald’s play place a few weeks ago.  For those not fortunate enough to have been to one (haha), kids must remove their shoes before climbing around inside the little tunnels and must wear socks.  Of course, as with any rule, not everyone adheres.


Anyway, there were only a handful of kids there besides Anna.  My sister-in-law and I were enjoying watching her play when, seemingly out of nowhere, a loud, grating, harsh voice yelled, “Look at you!  You’re getting all DIRTY!  That dress is FILTHY!”  All the noise in the play area seemed to stop.

Anna enjoying a little yogurt

We both turned around and saw a woman who must have been at least 70, with a miserable, angry look on her heavily lined face and a voice to match her expression, staring down a girl I assume was her unfortunate granddaughter.  We looked at each other as if to say, what the hell is her problem?

Miserable Old Lady then sat down in a huff and turned to her elderly companion, who didn’t seem nearly as concerned about the state of the little girl’s clothes, and began to grumble about the girl getting messy in her dress.

Meanwhile, the little girl, who had stopped in her tracks when rebuked, tentatively started to play again, but moved slowly, as if she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to play anymore.  But the damage had already been done.  The dress would need to be – gasp! – washed. Oh the horror!

Imagine how that kid felt to be taken to task over something so silly in front of a group of strangers. Embarrassed?  Angry?  Hurt?  I’d have felt all of those emotions if I were her, and I did vicariously feel them for her. How terrible to have someone take the joy out of your experience for something that trivial.

Of course, I’m not sure if these people were on their way to a destination requiring proper dress, but if so, there were 2 other options:  don’t take her to the play place first, or dress her causally and bring a change of clothes for the dressy place.  It really wouldn’t have been that difficult to avoid this “catastrophe.”

More importantly, though, there are some basic things all parents need to remember. They’re probably going to seem obvious to you, but since they apparently aren’t to everyone, such as Miserable Old Lady, I’m going to list them anyway.

1. Kids get dirty.  That’s just a given.  They play outside and get dirty, they are messy at mealtime and get food all over themselves, they do art projects at school and get paint everywhere, etc.  It happens.  Get over it.  They’re washable and so are their clothes.
2. Bring backup.  Have a diaper bag with at least one change of clothes in the event it becomes necessary.  Have lots of wipes on hand.  Then a mess doesn’t become a crisis.
3. Dress your child appropriately.  If you’re going to a play place, a fancy dress may not be the best idea, especially if you’re concerned about it staying immaculate (good luck with that). Put them in something they can run around in so you won’t have to worry about it.  The whole point of being there is to have fun, right?
4. Plan wisely.  If your child’s state of appearance is that important for a given occasion, plan for that.  I do realize appearance is important sometimes.  I’m not saying it wouldn’t be frustrating to have your daughter dressed up for the wedding in which she’s the flower girl and have her get muddy just beforehand.  That would be aggravating.  But it’s also easily avoidable.  Wait until the last possible moment to dress her up, and make sure the preceding activities are indoor, non-messy ones.
5. Remember that they’re kids!!   Kids aren’t concerned with appearances the way we adults are, and they shouldn’t be made to feel that way while they’re still young enough to enjoy freedom from image consciousness.  In other words, don’t give your kid a complex about his appearance that makes him reluctant to play and enjoy himself like a normal kid should.  Just relax and let your kid be a kid.

Anna getting wet and sandy

As I noted, I’m sure most of you already get this.  But Miserable Old Lady was a wake-up call for me that not everyone does.  I feel sorry for that little girl and hope Miserable Old Lady isn’t often responsible for her clothes or activities. A little simple planning and attitude adjustment would have made that girl’s day a lot more fun.