Hello blog friends! I'm hoping to return to "mommy blogging" in this season when I have been gifted with more time with the kiddos. To warm myself up as I get back into blogging, I thought I'd start a series on "Parenting Dilemmas." Nothing serious this time, no disciple or character formation questions, but something much more straightforward.
Hands and feet. My son Titus, for whatever reason, has fingernails that for some reason attract dirt. They attract dirt and hold onto it. For some reason, normal handwashing does not even come close to eradicating this layer of blackness under his nails. On a normal day, it may look like he has not washed his hands in a week, judging from his fingernails. He does not dig in the dirt anymore than my other children, and I keep his nails just as well trimmed, but for some reason he carries black sludge along with him.
Solution: frequent baths. I have never been one to give daily baths; I just don't have it in me by the end of the day. But a semi-weekly soak in the tub usually eradicates the fingernail grime.
Enter Indian baths. These days our "baths" are standing near the faucet of water and letting mama scrub down with soap and rinse. There is no playing and no soaking. While this has been much more efficient and not unpleasant, it has eliminated my nail-cleaning solution. Now that even swimming season has ended, all three of my children are sporting a nice black layer on toes and feet.
I'm asking for your advice: how do you battle your kids' nail-sludge? Do you get them to wash dishes as a sneaky way at this? Do you have a water play station for them? Do you have a nail brush and hold them down while they kick and scream? Do you paint their fingernails to cover it up (just kidding, I wasn't planning to do this...).
Thanks in advance, and may your day be full of sludge-free kiddos.
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