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Toddlers, Play-Doh, and My Poor Hardwood Floors

January 10, 2017 in Family, Lifestyle

The first time your child does something it brings an unsurmountable joy to your heart, that at times, can be hard to put into words. Today, it was Sarah’s first time paying with Play-Doh. She had gotten a pack of the My Little Pony Play-Doh for Christmas, and we weren’t 100% sure she would enjoy it. We waited a few days to gauge whether or not she would enjoy it, and in the meantime, I made a homemade silly putty  for her to play with just to make sure this was an appropriate activity for her. Since she loved that so much, I figured it was time to open the Play-Doh. Sure enough, I think this picture says it all:

Toddles, Play-Doh and My Poor Hardwood Floors-gritsngrace.com

“It’s fway-doh mommy!”

She was so thrilled she could barely contain herself. I don’t think I have ever seen her giggle and laugh so much while playing with a toy. Of course Play-Doh can be fun for anyone at any age, but for young children, the benefits are exponential. Here are some reasons why playing with Play-Doh is also a great learning experience for your toddlers:

  1. Fine Motor Development- Play-Doh can be squeezed, squished, pounded, poked and a host of other things, therefore it  is considered a malleable product. Your little one will be able to build their hand muscles while using it. This prepares them for being able to write and use scissors later on.
  2. Imagination: The two pony rollers that came with the set were an amazing addition. She was so excited at the different prints that they made and when she saw a star that was made, she began to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.  Adding various toys while playing with Play-Doh ehances imaginitive play. Children can pretend to create various things, engaging in role play with their parents and other children. It also allows for them to work on communication skills, while practicing story telling: “look at the food I made, its is for my resturaunt.” Allowing kids to relay to you what they are doing and asking open-ended questions while doing so, is key in imaginitive play.
  3. Calming: Another reason while Play-Doh is great-it is very calming. Being able to squeeze it for some reason is very therapeutic.

There are a multitude of reasons from literacy and math skill development as to why Play-Doh is a great option for your toddler. One of my favorite reasons not listed above is the emotional factor. Sarah was so excited that she was able to roll the dough, that she called me over, and proudly said “Look, I can roll dough mommy!” By reinforcing how proud I was of her accomplishment, I could tell that she was even more excited than when she first did it.

 

Now, on to my hardwood floors

So it was a bit of an exaggeration saying my “poor” floors, but who wants extra cleaning? While the dough we got was a bit crumbly and contributed to the extra mess, the only thing that mattered in the in the end was her happiness. As for my floors, well, I guess I just need to invest in one of those robot vacuums. At least we don’t have carpets.

toddlers, Play-Doh and My Hardwood Floors/gritsngrace.com

What was left of the mess on the floors, ( I should have taken a photo before I started sweeping).

 

 

Natasha Brown

Love of impromptu dance parties, 80’s cartoons, and horizontal life pauses (aka naps); Natasha Brown is a stay at home mom of 4 kids, and wife to one lucky guy! In her spare time, she is co-editor of Grits & Grace, as well as editor for The Mother Hustler Blog and Creative Director for the Mother Hustler podcast.

www.themotherhustlerblog.com

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Comments

  1. Rachel says

    January 10, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    Haha… when the play dough comes out at our house, it’s on the days I plan to clean and mop the floor for this reason exactly. LOL Toddlers + play dough = messy floor. Thanks for sharing.

  2. JeeYoung Dubs says

    January 10, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    My husband has officially banned play doh in our house. The little bits drive him crazy! She is so cute!!

  3. Rochelle Valle says

    January 11, 2017 at 12:51 am

    My daughter has so much playdoh it’s crazy. My boys will play with her once in awhile.

    With Love Rochelle
    http://www.withloverochelle.com

  4. Natasha Brown says

    January 12, 2017 at 7:10 pm

    That is a great idea! I may just restrict it to those days I intend on doing a deep cleaning.

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Natasha Brown is a mom of four and head sock finder in her home. Grits & Grace was started as a way to meet other southern moms who love everything from their smock dresses and Lily Pulitzer to sweet tea. Let's connect!

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Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in s Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in so many different directions.  But the one thing that has brought joy to my heart was seeing my children enjoy being kids and forgetting the grief that was in their hearts for a few moments.⠀
⠀
The kids and I got to experience a true Chicago winter. We hated it. 🥴 As a southerner, my mind and body are not equipped to handle 16 degree weather. ⠀
⠀
Are you team snow or heck no?
#AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing t #AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing this is by making sure that I am more intentional about my time. As I seek to reclaim my time, one way I am doing so is by spending more time with myself for self-care, comfort, and wellness. One thing that I love to do is to sit with a nice hot cup of @BigelowTea from @Target, which is perfect for this January since it's Hot Tea Month!

My morning tea time consists of the Bigelow® Constant Comment Black Tea flavored with orange rind and sweet spice, and my nightly tea is Bigelow® Lavender Chamomile Herbal Tea. Both taste amazing and leave me feeling refreshed and balanced and ready to conquer whatever comes next! Bigelow® Tea is my #1 choice of tea.

Do you have a favorite hot tea? Tell me about it below! Every cup counts! #TeaProudly #BigelowHugInAMug

Check out my stories to see more about my favorite Bigelow® Tea flavors!
This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨ We’re all taking This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨
We’re all taking today to relax and just be together. Sunday’s are the day of rest, after all. 
What do you and your family do for fun on Sunday? Kick back and relax like us? Or maybe brunch? How do y’all make the most of your Sunday💕
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.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
#family #sundayfunday #kickbackandrelax #familytime #familyblogger #bloggermom #mommyblogger #bloggermommy #atlantablogger #georgiablogger #selfcare #selfcaretips
⠀ (Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time ⠀
(Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time in with my teen, especially since she will be off to college in a year. Luckily, she and I have similar interests so it’s always easy to find something to do.⠀
⠀
Aly and I have been listening together to the audiobook of Memory Lane by @saracshepard, and if you or your teen were fans of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars or of Black Mirror like we are, then this is perfect for you! You can check out this mother/daughter mystery on @serialboxpub starting today! This contemporary sci-fi follows Alex who receives her mother’s implanted memories during a scientific study, and finds out her mom witnessed a drowning years before. Now it’s up to her to evade a killer!⠀
⠀
Sound interesting? Use my code SBNATASHA to get 50% off this or any other @serialboxpub title.⠀
⠀
Serial Box publishes exciting fiction in audiobook and e-book and lets you toggle between formats without losing your place. You can check out their catalog of over 150 titles including sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, historical, and horror genres, plus you get to read and listen to the first episode of every Serial for free. Aly and I can’t wait to to check out some of our favorite characters including Marvel’s Black Widow and Black Panther, and Doctor Who with David Tennant narrating the audiobook as the Doctor!!⠀
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Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is o Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is one with the infinite timeless joy of this unbound universe.-Robert Ellwood⠀
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I have taken a long hard look at what will bring me joy in this season of my life. With everything that has come to pass two things have stood out to me as being most important; being intentional and being present.⠀
⠀
By being intentional, this means that everything I do has to serve a purpose. Just as I want to keep only things and people in my life who serve a greater good, I want to ensure that I everything I am doing serves a greater good as well.⠀
⠀
Being present means exactly what it says. Live in the moment and stop worrying about “next”. This is a major fault of mine, but I am realizing more and more how important this is in order to maintain a higher quality of life. ⠀
⠀
How are you working to be present and intentional in your daily living. #graceupongrace #blackchristianinfluencers #soulsreconnected #familyiseverything #realmomsofinstagram #honestmoms
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This is my mantra for the day and probably the next several days. My husband and I received some devastating news yesterday, and I truly don’t know how to react. 

‘Do I post? Do I take a break from social media? Should I take a day off?’
All these thoughts have been running through my head, but through tragedy, we must keep going, that’s what our lost loved ones would want. They would want us to thrive and be mentally and emotionally strong, so that’s what I’m going to do. We may be going through hell, but we will keep going. 

#mentalstrength #emotionalstrength #family #familylove #loss #lossofalovedone #mindovermatter #realmomsofinstagram #itsokaynottobeokay #prayers #prayersforhealing #ifyouregoingthroughhellkeepgoing #pushthrough #focus #takeabreak
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I’ve spent most of the day calling funeral homes, figuring out clothes needed to dress a deceased loved one, and finding a suit for my son and husband. Now that I have a moment, I’m just watching Chris as he sleeps. Figuring out how to be there for him and my children who are hurting. There are so many things that have occurred in the last 24 hours, and maybe one day I will talk about it.⠀
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But in the meantime hold your loved ones tight. ❤️❤️ #familyisforever
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