If not from my parents I learned all my life lessons where all kids do, from Disney Channel. I remember watching this particular episode that has stuck with me to this day as a mom to three boys. The main character was trying so hard to achieve perfection in everything they did. Everything was organized and everything was spotless. They were always on time and everything they touched they did with perfection. The kids in the show could see that this character never had any fun or let loose and they were determined to teach him that perfect can also be messy. That night they had a barbecue feast and of course the main character used a fork and knife, his face was spotless, and there was absolutely no mess. The kids explained how he had done it all wrong and of course he was furious and didn’t understand. They explained that Barbecue is meant to be messy! You’re meant to eat it with your fingers. Your meant to get a little dirty! That’s how barbecue is perfect. That is why barbecue is fun to eat.
This hit home for me, even as a child. I have always held myself to high standards. I wanted to have my room clean as a teen before my homework was finished. I wanted to make every team I tried out for. I wanted to exceed my parent’s expectations.
Now I am a mom of three gorgeous, good-hearted, wild and messy boys. What I had to learn as a mom is that perfection is sometimes messy! Sometimes perfection is getting down on the floor with your kids and building a lego castle instead of cleaning the dirty bowls in the sink. Sometimes movie night is more important than laundry night. Sometimes perfection is letting them wrestle in the grass on the way to church - Grass stains and all! Sometimes perfection is missing a meeting or skipping a practice to spend time together as a family. Sometimes perfection is MESSY.
Joey in all his 2 year old perfection found an orange marker this week and thought “wouldn’t it be fun to color on all the cabinets.” Of course we corrected him. But it was fun stopping what I was doing and coloring with him for a while. (On paper)
We have to learn as mommies and daddies that we can’t plan a perfect schedule, we can’t expect a white shirt to stay clean, we can’t eat our barbecue with a fork and knife because what fun is that? Life is not perfect if it is not a little bit messy. Because face it, kids love a good mess! They are cute when they are messy! They will remember the times you made a good mess with them. So take a break from your expectations of perfection and get a little messy today.
