I think I speak for most moms when I say that it does not matter how much I clean up the mess, it eventually returns back to its original form by the next day. It is inevitable, kids love to build their own imaginary scenarios for their many games, and cleaning them up means destroying the castle, burning the forest, or tearing down the magical house of wonders.
My daughter⏤like all kids her age⏤plays several games at the same time, and if all of a sudden she decides to paint with her crayons, she will refuse to pick up the toys she has left on the floor, she wants everything to be right where she left it. And all that mess just drives me crazy, I have bought so many containers and baskets for each type of toy, everything has been assigned to a specific place, but the joke is on me as I am the one who cleans the mess every.single.time. My daughter CAN pick up her toys and put everything where it belongs, but as soon as she finishes cleaning her room, she wants to start all over again… and a new game begins.
And for the past four years I have been considering this to be a problem, but is it really a problem? The truth is childhood is that blissful moment that lasts so little and will never come back. The best memories we have are those in which we played our own games, gave our toys an identity, and created imaginary worlds. Having a child with a vivid imagination, who enjoys everything she has, who has the energy to run around the house chasing a pink talking rabbit and joyfully plays with a piece of cardboard, is an open invitation to live it all over again.
And with this thought in mind, I just threw a few plushies into the blocks basket, the kitchen toys into the dolls container and the wooden cubes into the crayons box, because none of that really matters, what truly matters is having a happy and healthy child who energetically frolics around with her toys or anything that crosses her path in her imaginative play.
So next time you feel frustrated after seeing your kid’s mess, remember the enraptured meaning behind your child’s piles of toys all over the house: their soundness and happiness, that is what really matters.
Comments