The Importance of Playing in the Dirt...

Both of our kids were sick this week, but between my son and my daughter, there is an interesting difference:

  Whenever our daughter gets sick, if it gets into her chest, it becomes a real problem.  She has had pneumonia three times.  Whenever she starts to sniffle, I go on mommy high-alert.  She is also a natually clean child.  She would sit down with projects even at the age of one and draw and color contentedly.  She has a tentative nature, and is less likely to run full steam through anything physically or socially.

   Our son immerses himself in whatever he's doing, especially if it involves dirt.  He's jumping in mud puddles, sitting down in mud, making mud creations while digging in his nose like there's gold dubloons up there; and his immune system is hardier.  Things hit him more mildly.

Part of my homeschooling recess this week was to make sure our daughter got dirty.  I sacrified my springform pan and some other kitchenware, and sent the kids out to make mud pies.  I encouraged and poked and prodded our daughter to get her hands into the mud, while our son made mudballs that ended up outside (and inside :-/) my car.

I'm going to make sure she gets her hands dirty every day.  La Princessa is mortified at first, but she enjoys it once she gets into it.

Three cheers for dirt!