Who says you have to follow all the rules? Some rules don’t seem to have much purpose, so we just scrap ’em. What rules do we let go? Well, here’s a couple:
Color on the paper
Why does all coloring have to stay on paper? There are many other materials that are fun to color on! We have a cement wall in our basement that Little Miss can color on all she wants. I figured I want to paint that wall at some point anyway, so might as well let her have at it. Plus, isn’t it cool how the color looks different depending on where you color? I don’t encourage Little Miss to color on herself, but if she starts, I don’t stop her unless the color is starting to get on her face.
Don’t play with your food
Food is a great sensory experience, and Little Miss likes to pour her drink into her food and vice versa. I don’t let her waste food, but if she’s at the end of her meal, then who cares? Mixing a solid plus a liquid turns it all into mush must be a learning moment, right? She also learns fine motor skills when she uses her spoon to put her food into her cup, and I can tell she is exploring with liquids when she pours her drink on the table. I don’t allow crazy messes, but if it only takes me one extra minute to clean up, then what’s the harm?
I like to think we still maintain some order in our home, but I always try to ask myself, “What’s my reason for saying no?” What typical rules do you let go of in your house?
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