Whether they are squeezing the bottle of lotion all over the floor or unrolling toilet paper, little kids love exploring their big world one mess at a time. Learn some tips on how to control and survive the chaos.

Trying to keep your home neat and under control while there is a toddler around can seem like a hopelessly lost cause. The minute you tidy up the toys or fold a stack of laundry, another mess is waiting to be tackled. Your child’s messiness can get so bad at times; that you might think she’s trying to make you crazy!

But one-year-olds are simply making discoveries in their world the only way they know how - by getting into their surroundings, literally. This makes a lot of cleanup for mom and dad! Combine curiosity with wanting to be independent and lack of fully developed manual skills, and you can count on plenty of mishaps! While messy play is beneficial, it doesn’t mean that you should let your child run wild. Check out a few common toddler disasters and learn how to set limits without stifling development.

Unrolling Toilet Paper. Toddlers get a kick out of watching toilet paper come undone and pile up. Rolling it back up is a pain for you but it may help to realize that this messy activity requires a pushing and throwing motion that builds your child’s fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Limit the Mess - Let your toddler have her own roll of toilet paper in a different color or pattern, and only keep it half full, which is less for you to roll back up. Make sure she knows that this roll belongs to her to play with, but the others are off limits. You will have to help her roll it back up, but this will help prevent unexpected surprises in the bathroom. An alternative is to have her play with balls instead. Pushing, rolling, and throwing them will develop the same skills - minus the mess.

Drawing on Walls. Drawing boosts hand dexterity, but giving your toddler a handful of crayons is a disaster waiting to happen.

Limit the Mess - Give your child a large sheet of butcher paper. A large area may make her less likely to draw on the walls. If she does it anyway, let her know in a firm voice that it is not OK. Explain to her that coloring is limited to paper only. Then enlist her help in clean-up, even if it’s just holding the paper towels while you wipe off the marks. This will help her understand that there are consequences to her actions.

Playing with Food. You can fully expect your toddler to be fascinated and entertained by being hands-on with her food. Exploring textures, colors, and flavors of foods is how they learn about them. They are very curious about cause and effect at this age. If they drop food on the floor, will it roll, splatter, or make a loud noise?

Limit the Mess - Place a large washable mat underneath her high chair. Don’t be too quick to jump up every time she spills or drops something. It will make you crazy and may tempt your toddler to play a game of “Let’s see how many times Mommy will pick up my cup”! Be sure to know when enough is enough. If your child is becoming bored or full, it is time to end the meal before frustration on both your parts becomes inevitable.

Mess time equals learning time, whether you are comfortable with that or not. Allowing your toddler to explore with food and household items can be beneficial and rewarding. At the same time, limits should be set as to what gets messy and how much your child is creating disasters!

Kat Hafen writes for many baby publications including HugaMonkey, which has baby slings, changing pads, baby carriers, and much more. Visit HugaMonkey to find the perfect item to help with your baby!

[tags]messy babies, managing baby mess, baby mess[/tags]