“They” say that the first step is admitting you have a problem.
I have a problem.
Actually, I have lots of them, but I’ll focus on one for today.
I have a fear of toys-with-lots-of-teeny-tiny-parts.
Like Legos.
This is a prime example of my slob-tendencies affecting my real job . . . being a mom.
I’ve successfully avoided Legos for years. My oldest son has a bit of the same fear, so it hasn’t been an issue with him. But my second son, the one who just turned 7, loves to build things. And has a math-brain. Y’know, just the type of kid Legos were created for.
The main problem is that Legos aren’t really toys. They’re boxes full of pieces.
With instruction BOOKS instead of instruction sheets.
Here’s the problem. Doing a real lego project requires a totally-cleared-off table. And it requires a block of time. In our house, if you put a few pieces together, and then take a break . . . things will get piled on that table, and pieces will get knocked off, kicked under the piano and lost forever . . . and you’ll never actually get to play with that greed-inducing toy on the front of the box.
But, alas, my son received a really cool Lego Star Wars
So, last Saturday, a full two days before he was technically old enough to do it, we put together his Star Wars Spaceship. Thankfully, we had a cleared dining room table to do it on.
And you know what? It was fun.
Once I read the instructions (I know, who does that?), I saw that they have some really good advice. They advise that you sort the pieces into piles by color so you can find the ones you need easily. Then they tell you, step by teeny-tiny-step, exactly what to do.
I don’t personally know who invented Legos, but I can say with total certainty that Mr./Ms. Lego was/is NOT a slob.
And just to sound more science-ey/math-ey and try to fit in with Lego-lovers, here’s my little equation for the day.
Cleared Table = Less Mommy Guilt.
My daughter loves playing with blocks – and just recently (Thursday, in fact) graduated to a more "grown up" Lego set. I love that she loves to play with them but really dislike the fact that Lego sells their sets in cardboard boxes. You'd think for the price paid, they would come up with more sturdy/practical packaging. Melissa and Doug have spoiled me with their wooden boxes/crates!
They are fun though aren't they!
I am a slob myself. I’ve been working my way through your blog for about a month now and I’m totally inspired. Its nice to know that I’m not the only one who gets surprised when something is dirty two weeks after I just cleaned it! Already my dishes are staying done, couches are for sitting most of the time and my bathroom isn’t masquerading as a laundry basket. One thing me and my husband both struggle with us cluttering up flat surfaces. this includes the kitchen table so we usually eat in front of TV instead of decluttering the table. My amazing husband found me a table that all but abouta foot of it folds down to fit better in our small kitchen. The added bonus is that if its folded down I cant clutter it up. ive been able to make bread, pretzels, pizza pockets and the other night I even set the table for just the two of us and the baby. It’s amazing how good it feels to sit down at the table together without cleaning first.
I, too, was afraid of Legos…and Polly’s. Being overwhelmed is the root of my fear, I believe. But, it wasn’t so much the putting together or the playing with as much as the putting away. My kids are 17 and 19 and I’m still finding Polly shoes or purses in random places. Legos were meant to be stepped on, slid across the floor, or cat toys in my house. I cringe just thinking about either of these toys to this day. It heartens me to see that you had fun with the Legos. Maybe there is hope for me, too, at least for grand kids way in the future!