Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Bathtub Paint

Remember my opinionated child? Well she was driving me nuts. Again. So I decided we would try some of those imaginative play ideas I always see on pinterest, thinking we might be able to do something fun without fighting.

It was a good theory.

She didn't want anything to do with making the paint. At the word paint, she had her heart set on painting in her coloring book instead of my wonderful mother-daughter bonding in the kitchen. Of course she doesn't want to help cook when I specifically mean for her to. And somehow I had no cornstarch in my house. Flour and food coloring worked well enough though. When I announced to her I was going to go paint the bathtub without her, she decided to follow.

Disrobing is one of her favorite pastimes so at least that wasn't a fight. Of course she had a great time once she started. Maybe she'll learn Mom is always right.





But why brush with the paint brush when you can stab the tile with it instead?



 I think she had just as much fun washing it off too.


Then we dumped dish soap into the bath to make some REAL bubbles. My mom always did this instead of  buying bubble bath when we were kids. (I use the super sensitive kind and we don't do it too often, lest you have concerns about my daughter's epidermis.) You can also dye the bubbles with a popsicle stick and food coloring and that was fun too. So much fun that I couldn't snap a good picture without some toddler nudity, but I'm sure you can get the idea from the picture. Even though it looks muddy brown instead of pink. 


Since then, food coloring has been a staple in our bath time routine. I found it to be a great way to use up the  partial bottles I've accumulated. I always run out of one color and buy another multipack since the bottle of just yellow or just red is twice the price. So I have three blues and two greens that have finally found their calling in life.

With all the fun it was, I'm pretty sure we would have had less fighting and more enjoyment if I had just sat down and watched Wallace and Gromit next to her for the 100th time. Painting makes me feel like a better mom though and I can put it on the internet as proof that I at least try to do awesome parenting things.


4 comments:

Marilyn said...

I've never tried this but bath colors used to be an essential. Recently we've been using bath crayons. I even have Elliot write a word five times when he's in the shower so he's doing something other than use all the hit water. Looks like bath color is a big hit for J!

jeanene c said...

You are such a fun mom. Just wait till she has her own, then you will be truly appreciated, by her. You are already appreciated by me!

Elena said...

That sounds like lots of fun. The food coloring doesn't dye her skin? I might try that with the little boy I watch. Shaving cream is another good one to play with when you're going crazy.

Jackijo said...

We always used dish soap also, so don't worry about that! Love the painting the bathtub idea! Wish I had thought of it when I was raising kids. However, Grandpa A. did think of the vacuum cleaner blowing bubbles in the bathtub. Ask Mr. J about that.

 

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