As mom’s we can easily be over stimulated and overwhelmed, but we also want to overcome our anxiety about messes so that we can allow our kids to do arts and crafts. One mom ask for advice about how to overcome the anxiety and allow her kids to play during Poll the People and of course you all showed up with the best answers.

If you are new here on Sunday’s in my stories we play a game called Poll the People. This is where you put any question you want in the question box and then I ask the community. In the end we have a community of women helping each other and sharing all of our best tips.

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Manage Expectations

• Drop the idea of Pinterest crafts and embrace process art
• Lower the bar for what you want this moment to look and feel like. Martha Stewart is not our inspo here
• Set yourself up for success – mistakes are going to happen, have towels, wipes, and water easily accessible
• Be okay with not being a messy mom and them doing crafts at school – I was/am a crafty mom but that doesn’t mean you have to be. You’re still a good mom
• Do messy play on cleaning day, before you clean.
• I promise no one else is judging your house, we don’t care (and say that in the most loving way)
• Keep your house clean and don’t even look in the playroom

Work On Yourself

• Work on your nervous system first
• If you are spiritual, give yourself dedicated time in the day to pray and read your devotionals
• Give yourself dedicated time in the day to do something you enjoy, filling your cup will give you more patience
• Whatever Makes You Happy Hour from Jessi Meeks – Let them do their thing, because you are relaxing and doing your thing
• Consume less social media, stop comparing yourself to the girl who edited out all the time she got anxious or her kids made a mess.
• Schedule enough time for clean up. A lot of times when I got overwhelmed it was because I felt like I was in a rush and I didn’t allow enough time for clean up before needing to move on
• Focus on one thing at a time

Teach Expectations

• Make cleanup part of the fun for the day
• Hold your kids to high expectations – if you make a mess, you clean it up (with help as age appropriate)
• Put boundaries in place and when they cross the boundaries they get 3 strikes and you take it away

Compromise & Take Baby Steps

• Start outside with areas that can easily hosed off
• Use the tub as your “container” and play with yogurt paints, tub paints, shaving cream. Anything that washes down the drain.
• Choose slightly messy things and teach expectations.
• Start small and work your way there
• Buy a giant mess mat
• Simple crafts from kits (less prep for you)

Other Tips

• Get on a cleaning schedule for the house in general so there aren’t other messes looming in the house causing overwhelm
• Plastic Tablecloths
• Use trays to contain the mess
• Remind yourself that one day there won’t be kids at home to make a mess and you’ll miss it. Enjoy it while it lasts. It is just a phase
• Do it in an area with wipeable surfaces, no couches or carpet nearby

I am so grateful for this community and your recommendations. I learn so much from you and I have found some of the best products because of you. I truly love you.

Join the fun on Sundays on my Instagram stories to play Poll the People.

Share any tips you have about staying calm while kids make a mess in the comments.

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