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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want to do messy play with my 10 month old?

51 replies

Saladleaf · 14/08/2025 10:05

At the moment am a SAHM to my 10 month old. I keep seeing online about messy play, and obviously when they go to nursery it seems like they do messy play with them.

I spend half my life cleaning the floor and high chair already and don’t feel like he would really gain anything additional from me doing messy play with him than what he already gets from meals and bath time? We do BLW.

Is it unreasonable that I really don’t want the additional mess and cleaning up to do? When did people start doing these types of activity at home (also baking, art etc) if baby didn’t go to nursery? He’ll be going in the new year and id be more than happy to let them do it (and the clearing up..!)

when he’s at home he plays with his toys, we have lots, we read and we look out of the window etc. he does independent play and we go on walks on days when we don’t go to baby groups. Now he’s crawling and more interactive I just feel like I should be doing a more structured day with him? AIBU?

OP posts:
TheGriffle · 14/08/2025 10:07

It doesn’t have to be much or too messy. Do you have outside space? Some of my favourite memories are making coloured cooked spag and coloured rice and homemade playdoh for my kids to play with. If you do it outside/on a large mat the clean up is pretty simple. Messy play doesn’t mean you have to trash your house.