Sending kids home dirty

[apples and bananas]

Does anyone else send all of the kids home dirty. I've been on a schedule lately with the nice weather that ends our day outside for pick ups. But sometimes I feel a little bad, and find myself appologizing that all of the kids have sandy hands and grassy knees at pick up.

Does anyone else have this problem? Or just I feel guilty at all? I've tried to keep them out of the sandbox at the end of the day... but it's really one of those battles that I'm just not going to win.

[playfelt]

I am the opposite. All of my parents know that we are outside at the end of the day and they will be taking the sandy in the pockets and grass stains home - that is my whole plan. No way are they bringing it back in the house for me to deal with.

Now having said that they are supposed to have splash pants etc here so the idea would be that they are taken off and carried separately or left here which I would then just hang to dry and shake out for the next day but most take them home if they even had them to begin with. I will also wash a child's hands that was getting muddy or stop them and wash just before parents are due then limit what they can do from that time on.

All of my kids either have back yard pools, or access to a park and splashpad so they get picked up and then do the waterplay thing at home so generally at my house it is swings/climbers, sandbox, playhouse, looking for bugs, bubbles etc. Enough to keep them occupied and happy but not mess to take home. Grass stains are just part of childhood.

[Sandbox Sally]

All of the kids are sent home dirty. There's no avoiding this. I try to tell parents to send them in play clothes, but over and over again, I get white leotards and light coloured pants. Sorry - I am not going to take it easy so that they can preserve their cute outfits. The only way they wouldn't get dirty is if I had them in front of the TV all day.

[Dreamalittledream]

Agreed; everyone is dirty and happy at home time.....not one complaint (just the opposite) from parents. I try to nix water or sand play for the last hour though; giving them time to run around & dry/shake off some sand.

[sunnydays]

Same as the others...I am always outside at pick-up time and the kids go home dirty. I have never felt bad about it as it shows they have been having fun and being active. When it is muddy they all have splash pants, so we just strip them off for the car ride and keep them here.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Yup - I am another who does not change children's clothes for home time - being 'dirty' is my 'what I did today' sheet for my clients' see we had pasta for lunch, explored goop, had a little science with mixing sand and water to make mud' and so forth being dirty is a sign that we had FUN today

I will change them if they are WET from play or meal time and uncomfortable as a result and sometimes if a parent has specifically sent 'extras' with a 'we are going out to dinner so can you keep this set aside for end of the day so it does not get dirty' and even than I will have the set of clothes and a cloth all ready at pick up time for the PARENT to change and wash their child up to head out for dinner - unless they are the LAST kid here and than I will help them out just to ensure they are out of here quickly

Personally the less 'laundry' a parent has to do the better ... why wash 4 barely dirty outfits cause you changed them after every meal or what not when you can spot wash as you go and than the parent only has to wash one REALLY dirty one at the end of the day?

[monkeymama]

my kids leave dirty and i dont feel bad at all! they also leave with smiling faces after a great day

[Mamma_Mia]

Unless they had a potty accident they stay in those clothes. I do wipe down their hands, faces and for the girls fix up their hair again.....thats it. If my DD is wearing white leggings to park or playgroup I'm doing it on purpose. Otherwise the pants will never be worn....so damage them up!

[Cadillac]

I have the same problem. Sometimes pants are even still wet from the beach if we've been there in the morning and I don't have back up clothing. My parents tell me that if they came home queaky clean it means we didn't do anything and we didn't have fun . . . . go with it . . you think their kids don't get messy at home? puuuuuuuuuuuuuleeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase!

[Mamma_Mia]

I have the same problem. Sometimes pants are even still wet from the beach if we've been there in the morning and I don't have back up clothing. My parents tell me that if they came home queaky clean it means we didn't do anything and we didn't have fun . . . . go with it . . you think their kids don't get messy at home? puuuuuuuuuuuuuleeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase!

Its a scary thought.....last week during P/U I said "sorry ***** clothes are a mess today, we did a lot of chalk drawings" mom then says: "are you kidding you keep her WAY cleaner than I do" now THAT grossed me out because this kid goes home a m.e.s.s. on a GOOD day....