I fear the outdoors. Well, sort of. 

While the rest of the country is settling into the Fall, the San Francisco Bay Area is about to enter its nicest weather pocket of the year. And for us, that means a lot more time playing outdoors. While I must admit that outdoor play is fun for my kids, I've always secretly felt this tension between letting my kids frolic with the mud and worms on the one hand, and knowing there will be a whole lotta dirty stains to deal with on the other.  

That was, until last year.

On a rainy day last spring, I caught myself rushing my then 18-month-old son, Max, into a store and steering him away from the huge puddles (aka child magnets) on the sidewalk. I guess I just didn’t want to deal with the wet and dirty clothes when we got home. But as he sprang ahead, leaped into a massive puddle and then looked up at me with a proud, toothy grin, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I was being somewhat ogre-like. Yep, I was depriving Max of what is arguably one of childhood’s greatest joys —splashing in rain puddles ― just because I feared what the laundry basket would hold afterward.   

So I gave him the “nod” and for the next 10 minutes, Max threw himself into puddles, collected dirty leaves covered in wet sidewalk sludge (which he wiped all over his pants) and otherwise had the time of his little toddler life. He emerged from the experience soaking wet and covered in muddy splotches, and he didn’t care. And surprisingly, neither did I.

Now this doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes I just don’t have it in me to deal with the mess. But because I’m not an ogre all the time, I do try to get my kids outdoors on a semiregular basis. And I was surprised to read recently that children who play outside are more engaged in school, have better self-confidence, and lower stress and anxiety. So I figured, hey, if my kids can reap all those benefits just from kicking a ball around outside, well then, it may just be worth whatever dirty laundry comes along for the ride, right?

If you still need a little encouragement to get your kids outside and deal with the mess, check out clorox2play2day.com. Our Clorox 2 products are encouraging children to play outdoors by getting their parents (that’s you!) to take a pledge to get them outside.  What’s the connection to Clorox 2®?  Well, knowing that kids who play outside get dirty, Clorox 2® promises that, if you get your kids out, they will help get the stains out! And who can’t use a little help in the stain department?

Go to www.Clorox2play2day.com to learn more, to make your pledge (and get some sweet perks for doing so!) and to smile a little more when you see your kid covered in mud. 

How about you? Is mud fun or fear for you?