Summer is over and it was time to put away the kids splash pool. We had the ground prepared as a flat, dirt surface. Now, it is a muddy mess. Once my kids saw the mud, it was all over! All over them!
This is a sponsored post.
Is playing in mud or dirt good for kids?
Before posting this, I had to do a little research to justify me as a parent letting my kids play in the mud. I didn’t see anything wrong with them having fun getting messy. They will clean up and so will their clothes. I think letting kids have experiences that are not harmful should be allowed.
I did feel that I had to justify myself a little though! I read up a little about why dirt is good for kids for several reasons, besides having FUN!
First, dirt is good for your kids immune system. Mary Ruebush is the author of Why Dirt Is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, in her book she states that kids immune systems need exposure to germs to build the ability to produce the right response quickly. She also warns about using anti-bacterial soaps which is a whole other post! I love the quote from her CBS show interview, she states:
“So let your child be a child. Dirt is good. If your child isn’t coming in dirty every day, they’re not doing their job. They’re not building their immunological army. So it’s terribly important.”
Mary Ruebush would be so proud of my kids, they come in the house dirty every day, although not quite as muddy as below!
Second, studies suggest that exposure to germs during early childhood primes the body against allergies.
Third, another study suggest exposure to infectious microbes at a young age may affect the inflammatory processes related to diseases associated with aging as an adult such as cardiovascular disease!
Videos of my kids having fun in the mud
So, now I not only don’t feel like a “bad” parent for letting my kids get so muddy, I feel like a good mom for letting my kids play in the mud! I hope you enjoy these videos!
They started off just walking in the mud, then Elizabeth fell and Elijah thought it looked fun. Then, there was no turning back, it was MUD, MUD, and more MUD from head to toe!
I could not resist taking video of them. I knew I had a huge mess to clean up with 2 muddy kids so I should at least have fun watching the video, right?! lol
It was in the low 70’s today and with mud comes the need to clean up! They braved the COLD water for a while then it was upstairs to the tub. You should have seen the muddy mess in the tub when they were done showering!
Do you let your kids play in the mud too?
Why do you NEED to justify letting your kids have fun? Unless something is dangerous, kids should be allowed as much fun as they can get. They’ll grow up soon enough. Interesting article anyway