*Life of Dad has partnered with Tide for this column. However, the words and the mess we have to clean up, is our own.
Much as the tiny ant can lift objects 50 times their own body weight, kids can make messes that are infinitely more spectacular than their size.
We all know our kids are all small miracles. The way they can light up our lives with just the smallest smile. The way they can brighten your day with a miniature sized hug. Miraculous. But the true miracles they perform is that from this tiny package of person, they are able to make messes that are gargantuanly disproportionate to their cute little frames.
A child’s innate ability to wreak a path of destruction around the house, library, or anywhere they traverse is almost an artform, and they are masters of their craft. Centered among that canvas of chaos is the #stainmaker him/herself. Generally speaking, the outward manifestations of messes are nothing when it compares to the epicenter. If a room is a mess, the person making it is messier. Guaranteed. There are two things you can do when it comes to this. You can either spend 100% of your daily energy trying to fight it, or you can embrace it. You accept that it will happen and learn how best to deal with the inevitability of the spills, smears, stains, smudges and splotches your child will collect on their clothing through the course of a day.
I choose the latter. Not only because it free’s me up to actually live my life, but because embracing the mess makes living life with my kids way more fun. Take today, for instance. This morning I got up and had my children dressed in beautifully laundered clothing. My little guy and his baby sister were pristine in appearance.
I would have been proud to parade them in front of any teachers or clergyman thanks to the immaculate appearance of their clothing. But I knew this would remain for 10 minutes…. tops. Sure enough, just after breakfast the chief #stainmaker of our house had found the chalk and went to work. The driveway, his pants, his sister, his shirt…. all of it became his place to create. His masterpiece today was the solar system, and the particles and dust he created landed mostly on him.
His clothing was quickly transformed. He went from a neat buttoned up little guy to a veritable explosion of colors. He was a walking Monet. A one-man, self inflicted, color run. It was as if he made a quick visit to India’s Holi festival between breakfast and snack-time.
I saw what was happening and I could have prevented it. But…. why?? It would only have ruined his fun, and taken me from my coffee. That’s a major “don’t.” Instead, I embraced it. I know full well how to get him back to show-shape when it comes to his clothing. You see, the beautifully clean duds he was wearing today were a sticky, discolored mess of pancake syrup, the last time he wore it.
But, after tossing it in the wash with some Tide Original Liquid Detergent, it came out as good as new. You’d never have guessed that my son looked as though he was harvesting maple in the backwoods of Canada just recently. Plus, when we use just one dose of Tide, it does the work of six doses of other brands. We’ve come to rely on Tide for that alone. We no longer burn through gallons of detergent, knowing we can rely on a small amount to wallop the messes. If a small person is the ultimate #stainmaker, this small dose of Tide is the ultimate Stain Nemesis.
With Tide as our ally, now we don’t have to sweat the messes. We can allow our #stainmaker to do what he does best. Explore, create, investigate and make all the mess he wants to. We’re all happier for it and it allows me the freedom to enjoy the disasters around the house and around his person.
I’m impressed (and a bit horrified) on a daily basis by the #stainmaker in my household, but I know he’s not the only one. They’re all over. A #stainmaker may be living in your house. Check out this little guy that Tide found:
Make sure when you’re watching the Oscars pre-show this Sunday, and look out for Tide’s newest #stainmaker ad. It will make you smile for sure…or maybe cringe, thinking about the mess your kids are capable of next.
