[susy...patience]

she played for a long, long time in the dirty clothes basket. She took things out and put things in....then she put dirty clothes on floor and laid on top of them.
Finally I had her help me put them in washer & start the laundry.

I'm a tired mama these days so I just sat there and let her. Before I was a mom, I had these visions that we would play in creative, special ways all the time. And we do play in creative way sometimes but sometimes I realize I am old and tired and as long as she's not hurting herself, I just let it happen.


Anybody else let their kids play in dirty clothes?
Or can you top my story with some disgusting place you let your child play?

[angel_bayou]

hmm not in the clothes basket but they have played in a really muddy spillway where they were compltely covered in mud from head to toe!! Seriously I have a photo on my blog of them during the summer!! I'd have to go look for it but it was in June for sure!

[guatparents2be]

unless something nasty is happening how bad can dirty clothes be? someone you love had them next to their skin RIGHT before you stuck them in there!
besides, if they are in there long enough, don't they just come out later clean? or is that only when you're in college?

here are 2 snaps of my dad, when visiting, letting my child play in his nasty post-shaving water. that's pretty freaking gross- it was torture not to say anything.

Attachment 78931Attachment 78932

and i know a certain someone who caught her kid with her toothbrush in one hand and her feet in the 'big' potty. let's see if she catches this thread and puts it up.

[kakuehl]

Originally Posted by susy...patience

she played for a long, long time in the dirty clothes basket. She took things out and put things in....then she put dirty clothes on floor and laid on top of them.

Originally Posted by susy...patience

Finally I had her help me put them in washer & start the laundry.

I'm a tired mama these days so I just sat there and let her. Before I was a mom, I had these visions that we would play in creative, special ways all the time. And we do play in creative way sometimes but sometimes I realize I am old and tired and as long as she's not hurting herself, I just let it happen.


Anybody else let their kids play in dirty clothes?
Or can you top my story with some disgusting place you let your child play?

I laughed when I read this! Actually, this is a very useful play. You are enabling her learning! (Maybe when she's 3 she can do the laundry by herself, LOL.)
I was reminded of my daughter and her favorite blanket. She, of course, took it everywhere, and hated it when I washed. She preferred it dirty and smelly. When she was about 4 (and there wasn't much of it left anyway), she cut off a piece of it and gave to me so I could wash it to my heart's content.

[SKL]

With 2 tots, I gave up on cleanliness soon after they got home. It's supposed to be good for their immunity / reduce allergies, right? I doubt your dirty clothes basket could be any worse than my kitchen and bathroom floors . . . . I also pull yesterday's clothes out of the hamper and use them again if they spill something on today's clothes in the evening.

[JoshGuat]

Originally Posted by susy...patience

she played for a long, long time in the dirty clothes basket. She took things out and put things in....then she put dirty clothes on floor and laid on top of them.

I love it, that is so great for the sensory system!!! What a great mom you are!!! Reading your post reminded me of how many times we as parents put parameters around our children because of what WE want and not what is best for the child. Thanks for the reminder I needed to read that post


[/quote]=guatmom2be] my dad, when visiting, letting my child play in his nasty post-shaving water.- it was torture not to say anything. .[/quote]

LOL- that is funny!!!! The pic is precious!! Kodak moment with your father!!!

[cbmstephanie]

Dirty clothes...clean clothes...if it makes her happy then I'm happy!!

Let's see...sitting on the bathroom floor with a roll of toilet paper. Not the best place, but I knew where she was and she was quiet! That's heaven some days!!

[Saya]

Ummmmmmm. . . . there's a problem with playing with the dirty clothes basket? Hmmmmm, I must be a bad mama!

If I happen to know that there's something particularly gross in there, then I won't let her play with the laundry. But if the clothes are just there from normal use, I figure it's not a problem. Everything is soft, there are no sharp edges and nothing for her to swallow - what could be better. And laundry is I think a great chore to get kids involved with at an early age. Anabel loves to help mommy and daddy do the laundry by taking the dirty clothes and helping us put them in the washing machine. And then she loves to sit in the newly-empty basket and have daddy pick her up and take her for a ride!

It might not have been what you pictured before becoming a parent, but isn't this still special play? She's learning about different textures, she's learning to be mommy's helper, she's learning about taking things in and out of containers, she's learning that if you press buttons things will happen - I don't think kids that age need much more then that.

Where I often give in out of parenting exhausting is when it comes to waste. Like when she's sitting on the floor one by one removing all of the tissues from the tissue box, blowing her nose with them, and crumpling them on the floor. I think "she's going to waste ALL those tissues, which is just NOT a good thing given both our budget AND the environment." And then I realize that the tissues will keep her happy for the next half hour, and I realize I care about that even more. . .

[jgriese1]

Josh loves to play in the laundry when I sort it. He always picks his dad's polo shirts out and puts them on and tells me he is going to work. He also helps me put things in the washer and dryer while I do the laundry.

[dspakowsky]

I just gotta say... thanks for making me laugh this morning!!!

[GuatMommy2Be]

Uh... My daughter straps a bra on herself and looks like she's wearing a man-kini... think Sacha Cohen in Borat.

[mkinzie]

DD loves the dirty clothes basket! It's one of her favorite things to do. One time DH had a friend visiting. DD came out wearing my bra. DH's friend was very polite and said "Is that your mommy's bra?" DH said he let her keep playing with it while his friend was visiting because she was playing so quietly. I was extremely glad I that I wasn't home while he visited!

[dilgra]

Ha ha, I thought my DD was the only "strange" kid She has recently started putting her favorite stuffed animals in our hamper and telling me they are in there getting clean , she said they are taking a bath in there. One day I opened it to do laundry and found a half dozen of her furry friends in there. so far, this is the "dirtiest" she has gotten since she hates to get messy .

[alreadylove2005]

Thanks so much for the laugh! I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one.

Bringing Maya home from Guatemala, in the Atlanta airport after being delayed for storms and just a long, long, long day.....I sat and watched Maya eat one of those paper luggage tags off her stroller. Tired, bad mama My husband asked later, what happened to this tag? and I couldn't even own up to it and just said, hmmmm, I don't know. Tired, bad wife! I told him the story the next day and of course he just laughed and said, there's good fiber in paper, LOL.

[2xaround]

This summer dd was having a ton of fun spashing in a little puddle of water on the deck. However, I discovered after several minutes of this that it wasn't water. One of our dogs was apparently too lazy to go out to the yard and squated on the deck.