Mastering the Mud

January 22, 2015

Written by Marykate O’Malley, mother of three wonderful children, Gladwyne PA

My son is a gifted artist, and musician, and can bake a delectable pumpkin bread. His room is kept tidy with little reminders, his handwriting neat, and overall is an organized chap. And he is also a boy who loves to be outdoors, playing games like football, soccer, street hockey, basketball, really anything with a ball. Let’s say he is active. And I think that is awesome. I would so much rather him outside muddy and dirty than inside pristine parked in front of the TV.

What this means is that he blows through sneakers and pants at a dizzying speed. Once when buying him sneakers, the store owner (who sold sneakers for me as a kid) remarked, “I don’t think I have ever seen anyone do that to sneakers.” Yep. Pants started to have a holes in the knees a few years ago, and I would discard them begrudging (I hate wasting, and especially after only a month or few weeks). And then I learned to manage the mud, and the holes. Here is what I do:

My son knows to change his pants when he comes in muddy, stat. He will literally go through 3 pairs or more on a given Saturday. I haven’t had him put the original pair back on when he goes back out but have thought of that. Otherwise, I do so much laundry I feel like what is another pair (or 4).
I am so pleased with this one – this year I decided to save the pants with holes for messy play. On the weekends when he is outside all day with his friends in the wonderful world of muddy sports he wears his pants with holes in the knees. These have become his mud pants, like snow pants but for mud!
When he comes in the shoes are off immediately. We don’t wear shoes anyway in the house so he is well trained in this realm.
I buy sneakers 2 pairs at a time to save another trip. We don’t have time to out grow them before the holes appear. I love the Target ballet flats but am a big believer in quality play shoes for support. This kid needs them!
I have this idea from a friend – when my son and his friends come in all muddy and happy like a pack of puppy dogs to play video games (virtual soccer, real soccer, virtual soccer, real soccer) they sit on the floor not the furniture.
And the dust buster is my friend. As well as a well stocked cabinet of Shout, Tide and All.

I still have not figured out how to clean little boys knees during the summer. He can scrub and scrub without results. Has anyone figured this one out? Okay Moms who else has strategies to share about managing the mud? Do share!