Why is it that some children are just messier than others? Is it some genetic trait that they are just born with? Do some children just naturally leave a trail of messes wherever they go? The answer of course is YES!
Some children truly are born with that inquisitive and messy gene. They are curious about everything. As a result they get into everything. My youngest is one of those naturally curious children. Before she could even walk she was off and exploring. She would get into everything that was at her level. Starting when she was about eight months old I had to keep the bathroom door shut. Because she would pull herself up and stick her hands in the toilet. From there things just went down hill.
At two years old she was climbing out of her crib and up the ladder to the bunk bed. When she got to the top she would fling herself over the top because her legs weren’t long enough to reach. It was also at this time that she figured out how to rip the doorknob protectors off. I can’t tell you how many times I found her playing in and toys taking baths in the toilet. We started locking my door and the bathroom doors, but my son often forget to after using the bathroom himself. When she was two and a half she figured out that you could use play knives (or real knives) to unlock the doors and get in.
She also learned at an early age that there are many interesting things in the cupboards. She would pull a chair or just climb up the drawers and get what she wanted. I got so that I could hear the sound of the chair being dragged across the floor from anywhere in the house. She has emptied rice, macaroni, vanilla, baking soda, and stuck her hands up to her elbows in a can of shortening all because she was curious.
Since she is so curious and has strange taste buds I have all of my cleaning supplies on a top shelf where even she can’t get them. She would probably like them too since she has eaten Vaseline, soap, shampoo, desitin, children’s vitamins, and even children’s Tylenol. I joke that the only thing I’ve ever stolen was because of her. We were in Walmart and she was sitting in the back of the cart. She opened up a bottle of shampoo and began drinking it. I took it away and put it in my purse so she couldn’t get it. Then I forgot to pay for it. The next time I went to Walmart I bought the same bottle of shampoo and told the clerk to keep the bottle. When I explained why he looked at me like I was crazy.
This entire blog was sparked by today’s events. My daughter was eating a chocolate pudding in the kitchen while I was writing in the office. After a few minutes I realized that things were too quiet so I went to investigate. She had gotten the Quik powder and added it to the pudding, spilling chocolate powder all over the floor in the process. She wanted to see if it would be like chocolate milk.
The biggest thing that I have learned is to not overreact. She is just exploring her world. I am hoping someday that the messes stop. But I don’t think that being curious is a bad trait. After all most of the people who have made scientific discoveries or new inventions were curious. Who knows maybe she will make an incredible scientific discovery someday.
See these related blogs:
Letting Kids Clean Up Their Own Messes
Why Does Your Teen Have a Messy Room?
10 Least Favorite Parts of Toddlerhood