What is it about Paint??

We have been busy making some special things this week. It involves PAINT. What is it about Paint that makes a child say, "EWWW" anyway??? The kids in my care have ample opportunities to play with paint, paint with paint, slime with paint, or pretty much anything they can come up with to do with paint (besides throw it). Yet, some of them still can't stand touching it, or getting it on their hands or fingers... and OMG should it get on their arm.

It has got to be the sliminess of it... that smooth, cool quality of it. Because these same kids are knee and elbow deep into the mud in the yard. It seems the boys have the hardest time with Paint. They touch it like it was a dirty diaper they had to throw away :) Using only their littlest tip of their finger, and that is only if they HAVE to touch it. If they can get away with not touching it, or using another utensil they will. Interesting....

I know some children have Sensory Processing issues... but can the number of children I have seen in my career ALL have Sensory Processing Disorder (to some degree) or is it a learned behavior in some children?? Have they been told "No" "Don't get dirty" "Your making a mess" or "You'd better not get that on your cloths" so many times, that anytime they see or touch paint it brings consequences that are not worth the short amount of fun they may or may not have. I'm guessing that the latter plays a big role in Sensory issues for most children.

Princess loves the paint!! She can have the paint up to her neck (and sometimes does) and not have a worry about it.

Little Miss M loves the paint too. She gets it on her hands and looks to me to figure out how to react to it. Should she get it off, can she leave it on, and can she happily go on with her project. She likes to rub it between her hands like soap sometimes... I'm glad :)

We were excited today... a bean sprouted!!! (and it wasn't mine!!) This little guy was just peeking out this morning, we noticed as we went outside this morning... by the time we came back inside he was stretching up to the sun!! What a wonderful experience... the kids were sooo excited!!!

This little one is peeking out too... and he wasn't even there when we came in from outside. We noticed him after we ate lunch. Can't wait until after nap to check if he is stretching yet...

Friends helping one another!!!

We read a special book the Princess brought in about new siblings... Froggy's Baby Sister, by Jonathon London. Froggy is waiting until his new sibling is born (he wants a boy). When the baby finally comes, it's a girl, and he is disappointed, for a second. He gets more disappointed because his new little sister is so small he can't teach her anything right away. Until finally she loses her tail and grows legs. It was great for the Princess, and we tied it into our "Mommy" theme by talking about how helpful Froggy was to his Mom, how much he must Love his Mom to help her so much. As well as, how thoughtful Froggy was being a Big Brother. We also talked about how when a new baby comes home, he/she is very tiny and can't play right away. But, more on that next week :)