Abby does not like to sit in her highchair. Some days she tolerates it, but then others she would much rather run and play and shred toilet paper into a million tiny pieces. Understandable, sure. I am hungry, however, and I need her to settle down. To do so, I sometimes have to think outside of the square box I tend to find myself in.
Like normal, she scarfed down her noodles while my sandwich sat untouched. When she was done, I tried to reach for a bite, only to have her pulling at my arm and screaming in my ear. But there was tomato sauce left in her bowl. And I had an extra paper plate on the table.
Finger painting and playing with your food, all in one! Does it get any better?
Rarely do I drag the giant tub of crayons out of it’s hiding place far out of reach of little hands. I have yet to intentionally let my kids draw with markers or paint. It’s all too much of an unnecessary hassle, says a possibly excessively uptight mother. I am not crafty and I don’t think of myself as exceptionally creative with play. But this, saturated fingertips and a few marinara swirls on a paper plate. It was one of my better ideas, letting go of myself a bit. What’s more, I was able to eat in peace.
That looks like good fun! I know a lot of people use pudding as finger paint too. Completely non-toxic. I guess you can even color the vanilla, right? We use the Color Wonder markers that Crayola makes … I even let Tabby keep them in her room. They are awesome and it’s one of those great things people can give her that gets consumed.
You rock…and I hope you got to enjoy your sandwich!
Best,
Tina
Love It! We just got home from vacation and found the ONLY way to get through a meal with Itty Bitty was to give her the mini butter tubs and allow her to “lotion” herself with it. Shameful and disgusting, I know.
My daughter used her high chair as a trampoline. It wasn’t her favorite way to eat her food or let me eat mine. I had to come up with some creative options for both of us to enjoy a meal. I love how you made meal time an artistic event. Glad you got to eat in some peace.
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That’s totally worth the peace and quiet. Good move, momma!
.-= Krystyn´s latest blog post: Mommy and Me Monday- The 14th Edition =-.
Good for you for being so creative! Being a parent is all about that adaptability, isn’t it? I’m not always so good at it myself and appreciate this bit of inspiration!
.-= Kristen @ Motherese´s latest blog post: Empty Nest =-.
I call that a stroke of genius!
I often find myself struggling to keep up (I only have one). But, on rare occasions, I let myself feel good when I find that with a little creativity (or perhaps accident), I’m a step ahead of housework, paid work obligations and my toddler’s speedy pace that usually leaves me in the dust.
Wonderful idea. My daughter is just about the messiest person I have ever met, totally unlike either my husband or I and she just loves to paint, finger painting especially. If you create a space to do it in, one where splashes on floors and walls can be wiped up easily it really is a lot of fun and my daughter will paint for an hour at a time so although the cleaning up is not fun, it is a great way to enjoy some time together and only one step away from painting with tomato sauce!
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Wicked fun!
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I think I might be more uptight that you seem to think you are because I hate my kids playing with their food. Actually they rarely play with their food…they don’t like getting their fingers dirty. It’s possible they may be as uptight as their mama.
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@jesser, Ah, pudding, I hadn’t thought of that one. My daughter really likes pudding, though, so I don’t think she’d actually get much finger-painting out of it.
@mamacomedy, Whatever works, right? And at least she’s super smooth.
@Rudri Patel, My daughter likes to bounce around in hers too. Sometimes she even bounces herself across the room.
@Belinda Munoz @ The Halfway Point, I completely understand that. It’s the little things, for sure.
@Aging Mommy, Unfortunately, our house is so small that I don’t have anywhere she can make a mess without it integrating to the rest of the house. A designated play area is a must for when we move.
@Marilyn, It was in a controlled environment with a lot of paper towels handy.
My boys get away with the messiest thongs when I’m trying to eat a meal. I’d even go for the TP shredding some days when I’m starving!
How smart is that?! Love it.
My mom used to give my girls yogurt to finger paint with–hey, if it allows me to eat in peace, so be it.
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