It is spring cleaning time again! We have that yearly ritual of packing up the jeans and sweatshirts but we add dejunking of the bedroom. Children accumulate junk at an astounding rate. It must breed in the dark outer corners of the tiny white and pink bedroom. So, I patiently waited until my 6yr old drama princess was off to school before throwing open the door, garbage bags in hand.
Her younger sister was tagging along behind me. She was curious why I was headed into their room with so many unusual items. As I survey the serious task ahead, she begins to pick up the different items and ask why these are in her room. I explain to her that we must clean up our room super good! Not just a normal daily clean up but a deep clean. She stares at me, skeptical.
"Okay" she says, nodding her sweet little head. "I will help you!"
I was surprised. This from a child who really hates to clean up. She is the youngest of four children and doesn't really have to do too many chores. So we got to it.
I began to notice it was only my 6yr old drama princess's toys that were heading into the garbage and giveaway sacks. I turned to the youngest to ask why she was only discarding her sister's belongings.
"Mom, I have to get rid of this stuff. I NEED to make my room sparkle like a dinosaur's nest!" she stated emphatically, arms crossed.
It took all my willpower to not bust up laughing. Really? A dinosaur's nest? Do they really sparkle? I had no idea. I thought they were always dirty, earthy, you know-outside!
She went on about her business making her room sparkle like a dinosaur's nest the next hour.
At the end of the deep clean, we chatted over some whole wheat PB&Js, satisfied with a job well done!
It made me wonder, her every imaginary play and painted picture is of dinosaurs. She lives and breathes dinosaurs. She can tell you any dinosaur and what they eat. She can even act it out for you in case her description leaves you wondering. She knows where their nests are and sparkle is something her 6yr old sister does, not her.
So, if she can take her most precious thing and find "sparkle" in it, why can't I? Even when I know it may be super dirty or super ugly, do I take the time to make it sparkle? Or do I slump over, dejected and begrudgingly carry out the task far below the "sparkle" level?
Let's clean up some stuff until it sparkles like a dinosaur's nest! Come on, a 4yr old can do it!
