Having fun with your kids sometimes means choosing to join them in their silly activities. The other day my girls emptied shredded paper all over the floor to play with it — so I joined them!

On Friday afternoon, I had Phoebe asleep in the swing while Esther and Magdalene were watching a program on TV. I thought it was the perfect time to shred a big pile of paperwork that needed to be disposed of securely.

The moment I put the shredder on, both girls stopped watching the TV and came over to ask me what I was doing. They thought it fascinating and loved watching the documents be shredded into paper strips through the viewing window. I had a few trips to the bin as I had a lot of shredded paper to recycle.

That’s When the Fun Got Started

Once I finished, I left the shredder bin full of paper to go and get a drink of water. Before I knew it, the bin was empty, and the floor was covered in shredded paper.

The girls began throwing the paper in the air and screaming with delight as they rolled around on the floor.

At that moment, I had a choice. I could have yelled at my girls for making such a colossal mess and told them to clean it up. Or I could have joined them and had some fun.

I chose the latter and got in amongst the paper. I was able to grab my phone to take some pictures of their joy to remind myself that messy play can be really fun.

The Choice We Have Each Day

We always have a choice. Sometimes — maybe most times — we should choose to join in. I’m glad I did.

When was the last time you joined your kids with their messy shenanigans?

Originally published at The Plumbette. Image by Allen Taylor at Unsplash.