Play Outside

True confession: I have dirty floors…almost all the time.  We are a dog family, and our kids were outside kids.  The boys often had pals over, and we often have pals over.  Our family is kind enough to travel to us since it’s trickier for Mikey to be at other people’s houses. It’s a high-traffic house! And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Playing outside means mud and dirt and leaves and goodness knows what else gets dragged back into your house. I know it’s gross. I know the kids forget to take their shoes off at the door. Mine sometimes even forgot to put shoes on when they ran out in search of whatever animal they had spotted in the backyard.

But here’s the thing…your kids won’t remember how clean your floors were. They will remember a childhood spent exploring the woods, swinging on their swing set, walking around the block, or playing at the neighborhood park. So, if you can let the floors be a little messy – I’d say it’s well worth it!

Or

If the dirty floor really makes you nuts, use the routine to your advantage and have one kid vacuum and the other kid Swiffer wet jet quickly after dinner each night.  They might even think these chores are fun and that way everybody wins!

For more on the importance of getting kids out in nature, click the links below.