Do you care if your toddler gets dirty

Question

So maybe I’m the weird one.  
I have a 20 month old son.  He loves the outdoors, he loves dirty, he loves to play outside.  I let him play with dirt.  I don’t care.  He gets a bath everyday so whatever.  My in-laws came over for a quick social distance visit and we stayed outside.   My mother in law was freaking out because my sons hair was messy.  If she wasn’t staying 6 feet apart, she would have been chasing him around with a hairbrush. He has curly hair that gets crazy in hot weather and when he sweats.  My nieces and nephews who are 8 and 10 kept bringing it to my attention that my son had dirt on his hands.  Literally every 3 minutes “the baby has dirt on his hands! The baby has dirt on his hands!” Which happens often when you play with dirt.  Everyone was so confused as to why I wasn’t chasing him around with hand wipes.  I mean it’s not like I let him eat it.  My mil was horrified I let my son go down his slide that had a little bit of dirt on it without wiping it first.  
I mean is getting a little dirty that big of a deal?

Answer

I let my little boys be little boys when we’re at home. Always covered in dirt. They wash hands and faces before they eat and bathe every night before bed. And of course I have them clean and presentable when we leave the house. But I’ve noticed they get sick a lot less than other kids and don’t keep that clear runny nose that the other kids at preschool seem to keep year round.

Answer

I let my kids get as dirty as they please, but then I do clean them up after.  If they’re covered in dirt in the morning, they won’t spend the whole day in dirty clothes.

Answer

My son plays outside in the afternoon mostly in the dirt. He likes to throw it up in his hair and eat it as well. Often times there’s dirt in his undies. He gets a bath every night and is extremely healthy despite all the dirt he rolls around in. Kids will be kids! And will dirty themselves up right after you clean them. Let them enjoy building an immune system! :)

Answer

He is a toddler 😂 toddlers get messy and explore. If he is getting a bath every day (or even every other day) it's not even a big deal 😂 that's kinda weird.

Answer

Its not a bad thing, its actually beneficial because it helps kids build up their immune system.

Answer

Tell them that research shows that if you play in dirt then you’re less likely to have allergies and asthma, you’re not being a bad Mum, you’re developing his immune system!

Answer

He’s a kid! Playing in the dirt is the best when you’re a kid! That’s how I grew up! As long as he’s not dirtying up the house or something then I see nothing at all wrong with it if he’s getting cleaned up later. It’s your house anyway so why do they care so much lol that’s so strange to me

Answer

It’s what kids do. That’s how they build up their immune system. That’s how you have happy kids. There’s a picture of me as a kid playing in my sandbox covered in mud head to toe with a huge smile on my face. I always played in the mud. I expect my boy to do the same. I have no issue with him getting dirty. I just do not care to have it all the house that I have a big mess to clean up lol.

Answer

Your MIL is being ridiculous. Kids get dirty. It’s not like you have him sitting around in his filth for days - you bathe him every day, I’m assuming wash his hands regularly, and do brush his hair every day. Let him have fun.

Answer

If we are at someone's house with no change of clothes, I mind if he gets dirty. But if I have an extra set of clothes or we are at home, I dont care if he gets dirty. Let the kids be kids! I know in my childhood, even as a girl, we got dirty outside and it was okay!

Do you care if your toddler gets dirty

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