Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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THE BACKSEAT — As a kid, I loved making messes and getting dirty. It never seemed like that big of a deal, and I could not understand why my parents would get so annoyed.
Mud is super fun to play in and when you lather it all over your body, it eventually dries and cracks off your skin and it's awesome. If you frisbee a tomato at the wall, it'll probably stick. Why wouldn't you want to see that? Olive oil on the linoleum floor makes it super slippery, and you can do awesome tricks across the kitchen.
It's just about fun, and I didn't get why my parents would get mad. According to me, they should just have some fun with me and by the time I wake up from a nap it's all cleaned up. I mean, what's the big deal?
I am now a parent and understand why my parents likely hated me. Turns out there are no cleaning-nap fairies, and you as a parent are the cleanup crew. Also, it turns out kids' clothes, olive oil and tomatoes cost money, and watching kids flush that down the toilet can be frustrating. I often try to let my kids be kids, but it's not always easy and that's why I love this video and why it hurts a little as well.
This little girl found some bananas in the backseat and remembered they were delicious and kind of fun when smashed up. So, she went for it and basically went bananas on those bananas. As an observer, it's funny and adorable. As a parent, it's next-level anxiety-inducing as I think about the cleanup of this mess. And I have to say as the child, car seat and all, gets pulled out of the backseat, it hits home because I've been in that mindset before. It wasn't with bananas, but other fruits, vegetables and slime.
One last public service announcement: don't buy slime as a gift for a child who is not your own. It will end up in carpet, hair, clothes and blankets. As a kindness to any parent out there, do not buy slime for a child that you are not in charge of.
