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Parenting

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Original poster

Tips on how you all keep your children immaculately clean?

21 replies

JiminyCricket · 23/02/2006 19:52

Everyone else's kids always seem to have clean neat clothes, tidy hair and scrubbed faces, even when we've all spent the day together, their kids have eaten the same as mine, used or not used bibs the same as me, and played in the same places and even at the end of the day they look perfect. And I haven't seen their mums hovering over them with wipes all day either. Mine have hair all over the place, food all down them etc etc. OK, Im not that fussed about cleanliness, and I like them to eat all kinds of food and not to get stressed about messy play, but am i a hopeless case or are there ways I can redeem myself as a Mum?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

JiminyCricket · 23/02/2006 19:53

Oh and I've got a 6 month dd and a 2.5 year old so toddler and baby tips both equally accepted here

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 23/02/2006 19:58

I have varnished mine, and just give him a quick going over in the morning with car wax, the dirt just slides off him after that.

I would not bother going to much trouble over this, a quick wipe after every meal and perhaps a clean t-shirt if you are going out seems adequate to me. I would keep their hair short though if the tidiness gene seems to be absent - seeing children with long unkempt hair is not very nice IMO.

Twiglett · 23/02/2006 19:59

snurk at f&z .. you are getting more and more funny

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MarsOnLife · 23/02/2006 20:00

immaculately clean? Never happened in the Mars household. I'm pretty convinced that mine are the only ones that can go into a bath of hot soapy water dirty and come out even dirtier!

Rhubarb · 23/02/2006 20:00

I doubt anyone notices! Mine go to school with milky moustaches from breakfast that I've not noticed, but then probably no-one else does, I only notice because I'm their mum and programmed to notice these things just when it's too late to do anything about them!

And tbh, if your kids are happy then so should you be! Kids are meant to be messy and dirty, if they are not then they're obviously not having any fun!

gigglinggoblin · 23/02/2006 20:01

a messy child is a happy child

FrannyandZooey · 23/02/2006 20:02

Twiglett

I have had a very long and boring day - I will be back to earnest and dull tomorrow.

bran · 23/02/2006 20:02

I second F&Z on keeping hair short, my ds is shorn like a sheep every 8 weeks or so otherwise it sticks up all over the place. Also you could colour co-ordinate their clothes to their food, camouflage green when having avocado or orange/red when having pasta with a tomato sauce.

Original poster

JiminyCricket · 23/02/2006 20:03

camouflage..cool move

OP posts:

Rhubarb · 23/02/2006 20:04

Or put a hole in a bin bag and stick that over their heads whenever they eat.

FrayedKnot · 23/02/2006 20:04

I agree with F&Z about the hair.

DS has more stained t-shirts in his wardrobe than unstained.

It marvels me how people can sell their toddlers clothes on e-bay, I often end up throwing ds' away or cutting up for dusters.

doormat · 23/02/2006 20:06

tips
put child inc clothes in bath
get them out of bath and turn on hairdryer
also use steam cleaner for stubborn creases

Nightynight · 23/02/2006 20:07

We had pinnys for eating in when they were toddlers. A bit like plastic painting aprons. They still managed to get food on their clothes though.

spursmum · 23/02/2006 20:09

Don't dress them!! My ds is happiest wandering the flat in a nappy and wellie boots.
Keeps my washing pile down

canadianmum · 23/02/2006 20:10

hose them down after every meal

I think it's genetic. I have non-identical twin boys. One of them always looks as if he's just been pressed, the other one looks like he has been dragged through a hedge backwards about 30 seconds after our morning grooming session (hair, vitamins, teeth, face, shoes). Weird but true .

kiskidee · 23/02/2006 20:10

I am proud of the filth dd accumulates by the end of a day. It's her merit badge of sorts. And that's how I know she is healthy and active.

canadianmum · 23/02/2006 20:10

doormat, is the steam cleaner for the kids or the clothes?? lol

doormat · 23/02/2006 20:11

canadianmum more ethical for the clothes dont you reckon{grin]

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/02/2006 20:11

some kids are muck magnets - dd1 is clean, dd2 isn;t. always been the same and I have no idea why, it's one of life's mysteries. and it has nothing to do with bibs or baby=wipes

Fullmoonfiend · 24/02/2006 17:56

my 2 are total muck magnets - gets worse as they get older (now 8 and 5)
However, they are addicted to getting naked as soon as they step through our front door (now, that's a whole new thread - does anyone else's boys do this or have I brought up future naturists??)
it does mean a bit less washing I suppose

stephanie21 · 24/02/2006 17:57

wrap em in cling film,but leave their heads out!!!

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