Silly Grown Up Rules

I have this idea that the backyard should be a free exploration zone, where the imagination is able to run wild. On the other hand, I keep trying to make up rules that seem to be at odds with my goal.

It started with sand transportation. We have this great sand table and Sydney kept trying to walk away with the sand in different containers or just with a shovel full. "Keep the sand in the sand table" I said over and over again. Finally, one day, it occurred to me that sand is cheap. Like dirt cheap. Literally. What is she hurting in taking the sand away? Will it kill the grass? What grass? So I let her walk away. She took the sand and walked straight to her little red car with the yellow top (you know that car, right?). "Not in the car" I said. Of course you shouldn't put dirt in a car. Except it's an outdoor toy that gets rained on and is filthy anyway. So one day, I let her put the sand in the car. She drove off, drove back, and got more sand. That's what she does. It's what she's been trying to do. It's why she wants there to be a sand table in the first place. Apparently sand transportation is important to her. Like it's her job. And honestly, I can think of a dozen little games or pretends that would have someone transporting sand (especially if the sand is really something else entirely). So why did I make up rules that kept her from her goal?


It happened to me again today. The weather warmed up and we got out her water table. She kept rubbing her hands in the dirt and then putting her hands in the water table to clean them. "Stopping putting dirt in the water table." Except, why? What exactly is she hurting? Yeah, she's dirty, but her shirt was soaked already and she was going to take a bath when she got in anyway. Am I worried about the water table? Isn't the water table made of super duper sturdy plastic that rinses out really easily? Don't I have to rinse it out every time we use it anyway? Watching dirt wash away is kind of cool and the sensation of going from dirty to clean to dirty is neat, too. And then all of these little dirt particles are floating around and those can be fun to watch, too. So I backed off and let her get dirt on her hands and then wash them.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's hard to think like a toddler. My rules are grown up rules and they make sense if you are trying to keep things neat and in their place, but they don't really make sense to Sydney, who is trying to explore and learn.

So, I'm back to my original goal: make the backyard a free exploration zone, where the imagination is able to run wild... without silly grown up rules.