Sand box

jacobsmama wrote: Do you have one??? I told you guys I had bought one at the garage sale and yesterday I filled it with sand and boy did Jacob have a blast playing in it! He couldn't keep his sandles on though because he couldn't stand the sand getting in them.... He gets that from his mom lol I thought it was going to be really messy and a bad idea but he loved it and it was suprisingly fun for both of us!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Alex has one at my Dad's house and thats all he wants to do when we go over there is play in the sand box!! I enjoy it too!!

Our Lil' Family replied: My neighbor has one and teases because I don't like Thomas playing in it....it's just too messy and I'm not a fan of sand. But he has played in it a couple times, didn't like it at first but got used to it. I know, I need to get over it, he's a boy, he needs to play in dirt and sand!

C&K*s Mommie replied: We do not have one per se. We let the girls play in a former garden that was used for boxwoods that we had taken out. We will have no choice but to buy them one, once we concrete that area in. Next time my FIL is in town we plan to do it, so maybe soon.

luvmykids replied: We need to get one. Our old house had a golf hole with bunkers, that was what the kids used and loved it. Just about every day thats where you could find them.

mckayleesmom replied: We need to get one soon...Probably when we move.

ilovemybaby replied: We got one last Summer but Abby has only been in it a few times because mummy hates the mess. It just means extra washing and vacuuming for me... yeah I know LAZY!!!
It's been covered since Summer ended (and we always covered it between uses because we have three cats) and we took the cover off on Saturday to find it full of water. The cover had a hole in it and the sand pit is now a pool with sand in it HAHA So we have to empty it out and refill it.

luvbug00 replied: nope and never will. not a big fan and my cats would make it an honorary litter box anyway.

CantWait replied: Yup, we bought one last year and Anthony really enjoys it. It's nice when I don't want to take him to the park, and I don't have to worry if cats have done their business in it.

MamaJAM replied: We bought a sandbox years ago -- but we hardly ever used it. It's still out in the yard....I just haven't felt like taking the time to clean it up and get rid of it.

redplaydoh replied: We have one... I'd never be without one. I always say, "A dirty child is a happy child!!!" I have a bathtub and a washing machine so I let them at it...

There is also sand that has a scent that cats don't like so they'll leave your sandbox alone. I don't think that it can be smelled by humans.

PrairieMom replied: We have one. The Boy used to play in it non-stop, but we have a play system now so he likes that better. We still get a lot of use out of the sand box tho.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: We do...when we first put one in we couldn't get teh kids away from it (there was also nthing else to play with in our yard). Now they still love it and about half of their backyard playtime is in the sandbox the rest goes between teh swings and baseball or soccer in the grass. (or katy's favorite game twirling)

mom21kid2dogs replied: Olivia still loves hers. We have a lid for it and change out the sand every season. We have fun at the VOA looking for intersting things to use as sand toys. We have a kid friendly/pet friendly home (lots of tile and hardwood) so the mess is minimal!

3xsthefun replied: The girls have one, I think Maegan likes it little better then Kait does.

Rob just bought it back in March, I think. It has a cover on it so the cats can't get in it.

~~*Missi*~~ replied:
Dido to what you said and they make lids to put on them for between uses so that cats cant get in........


also why would you have to vaccum? They are outside toys, no? that just caught me off guard..

Toy R Us evens sells sand that is NON TOXIC AND SANITIZED (don't ask i have no idea) but that is where we got ours and that is exactly how the sand is advertised......
shoot my kid gets dirty eating lunch, i am not about to not let her eat

MamaJAM replied:
Our sand-box has a lid -- and the neighbor's cat still gets in it sometimes (and, yes, we checked to make sure the lid was on tightly when we left it).

Also - the 'non toxic and sanitized' sand is IMPORTANT to get. Some 'ordinary' sand has pieces of glass or chemicals in it. Just a few weeks ago - someone on here actually posted about a warning lable they found on sand that was advertised for kids' sandboxes saying that it was unsafe to be inhaled etc (this was not the stuff Toys R Us advertises).

ilovemybaby replied: I have to vacuum because the sand goes on the carpet from her clothes and feet/shoes. Even if I take all her clothes off it still somehow ends up on the carpet. And we have artificial grass on our deck (for her to play on) and that has to be vacuumed too.

Yep kids make a mess when they eat but I always vacuum under her highchair after every meal too.

Each to their own... I don't appreciate the extra washing (clothes) it gives me when I am already having to do two loads every day.
If she wants to play in the sand we can go to the beach. That way she can just wear her swimsuit and I can clean her up there and not have to worry about extra work when I get home.

P.S. I have OCD and I vacuum the house about two or three times a day as well as wash my hands multiple times a day. This isn't really just a matter of me not liking mess.

BAC'sMom replied: Nope.....and I don't need one. I live on the coast and our whole yard is nothing but sand!

siblingtooolivia replied: We have a sand and water table, up off the ground, the water side empties and folds over onto the sand side. It can get messy and Olivia mixes the sand with the water and we usually have to buy more sand half way through the summer but she loves it and plays for hours in it and I love it cause its off the ground and she doesn't sit in it!!!

holley79 replied: Oh I can't wait till Annika is old enough for hers. I bought one at Toys R Us that has the cover on it so it's shaded. I know it's a little early but I just can't wait.

Brias3 replied: Awww, fun. We have a little built-in one up against a side of the house next to my vegetable garden. The kids played in it last summer but the only one interested now is Mason. He has a blast in there!

Glad Jacob is having fun

Cece00 replied: I'm thinking about getting one when we move. I'd like to have one built, but I dont know if a cover could be built....and I am super nervous about a cat using it to crap in. Gross.

But my kids would love it. It would be something else fun for them to do outside (we have a swingset, they have bikes, etc, my in-laws have a pool, we go to the park) as I am all about kids & outdoor time. I used to be really anal about messes/my kids getting dirty, and I still am, but I prefer for them to have the fun & get messy & I just clean up like a mofo when they are done.

~~*Missi*~~ replied:
Dido I am a diagnosed OCD with meds and couseling I still have horrible issues with it...... Sorry if I offended you with my opinon but I was jsut asking why cause i never had a issue with the sand coming inside (and wondered if someone would actually put them inside)..... I never have a issue with my outdoor cat... but I also have a lid that latches (little locks)

I guess my point is I wasn't trying to offend or PO anyone I was saying my daughter makes a mess eating and no matter how many times i clean I won't let my ocd effect her and her being a kid..... MHO.

b&bsmom replied:
We have the same thing. It is nice because the kids can't get in it so it isn't as messy as a sand box. Plus the water side is fun to play with too.

ilovemybaby replied:
That's ok. I wasn't offended. I just thought I should explain the situation better otherwise I was just going to look like a clean freak when there is a reason behind it. I know I need to get used to mess... I'm going to have double to clean when baby arrives. It took me ages before I even put Abby into the highchair to feed herself because they make such a mess. My mum kept saying "she won't learn unless you put her in there" but I just didn't think I could handle the mess. Anyway, she eats in her highchair now (since about 1 year old I think) and I'm just wondering when she is going to stop making such a mess because I know she does it on purpose. She can eat very well and not make a mess... she just likes to make a huge mess! HAHA

Lexismama replied: Kids=mess and mess=learning. That is how kids learn. They explore and experiment and usually that means that a huge mess for mommy and daddy to clean up. Luckily, that is one of the joys of being a mommy, cleaning up the lovely messes are beautiful babies create for us. I think that is one of the quotas for being a parent, being able to handle a mess and knowing that its all in good fun and a learning expereince for the little ones.
I personally dont think there is a difference between eating and making a mess versus playing and making a mess. It is ALL to learn and experience their world around them. Being withheld from those things create dependant children who wont do things on their own.
All in all, I think sand boxes (or mud boxes in some cases LOL) are a great idea! We have one and Alexis LOVES every minute she spends in it, which is quite a few!

ilovemybaby replied: I know that. I did a Childcare Course at AIT.
My daughter makes mess in other ways which don't include a sandbox. She isn't going to suffer because she doesn't play in a sandbox. She is in no way behind developmentally. Actually I'd say she is ahead. There are many things she can do that she has done earlier than what is normal. I think since about 15-18 months she has been able to put every single shape into her Tupperware ball. She knows them all and where they go. I've been told by someone who works with special needs kids that she has excellent fine motor skills for her age.

She is definitely not a dependant child who won't do things on her own

I don't think you quite understand the affects that OCD has on a person. Perhaps I should post an article about it.

ilovemybaby replied: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder which affects 2-3% of the population.

OCD is characterized by recurrent, unwanted and unpleasant thoughts (obsessions), and/or repetitive, ritualistic behaviours, which the person feels driven to perform (compulsions). People with OCD know their obsessions and compulsions are irrational or excessive, yet find they have little or no control over them.

Typical Obsessions: Dirt and contamination; fear of acting on violent or aggressive impulses; feeling overly responsible for the safety of others--unreasonable fear of having run someone with a car, for example; abhorrent religious (blashemous) and s*xual intrusions; inordinate concern with order, arrangement, or symmetry.

Typical Compulsions: Washing (particularly hand washing), cleaning, checking, touching, repetitive actions, counting, arranging and ordering, hoarding, ritualistic behaviours that lessen the chances of provoking obsessions (e.g., putting all sharp objects out of sight); superstitious-like acts that reduce obsessional fears (e.g., only wearing certain colours), etc.

A person can have a few or many of these symptoms, which can vary during the course of the disorder.

What are some of the other symptoms of OCD?
People with OCD may become demoralized or develop depression. Feelings of intense anxiety are common.

Lexismama replied: Seems like I stepped on the wrong toes, sorry for stating my opinion. I was in no way directing it at you.
BUT, just to clear it up...Missi (sabrinas mommy) is a very close friend of mine and she herself has OCD which she has been diagnosed with for awhile and I KNOW the effects OCD has on a person, not just her, many people. The thing is, some people let that effect their children, while others dont. I guess to each his or her own.
Dont take things so personal, I was staing my opinion on the subject and what I believe and have learned about (I went to school for child psychology, I know quite abit about this subject)

ilovemybaby replied:
I'm sorry. I guess I took it personally. I thought it was directed at me.
And I know Missi has OCD. But she is on medication for it. I am pregnant and don't want to take any risks by taking anti-depressants and I've seen a few different counsellors (about 5 or 6) in my lifetime (because I was sexually abused) and have given up on them because they were useless. So I basically deal with it on my own. And the OCD only started after that. I used to spend 30-45 minutes in the shower every day (for years) trying to get myself "clean". I have been on anti-depressants for years and came off them when I got pregnant with Abby. All they did for me was help me cope at work so I could keep my job. They didn't help with the OCD or anything else.
It's not like I don't let Abby play in the sand at all. She plays in the sand at the beach. I just prefer it that way rather than to have to carefully remove all her clothes and put them straight into the washing machine, bath her and then vacuum what sand does make it inside.
I mean he*k I was mad at my husband last night because there was shaving cream on the clean handtowel I'd just put up about half an hour earlier.
Some days are better than others.

Sorry again for taking your post personally. Unfortunately no matter how hard I try I always manage to do so occasionally. It's just a part of me. I can't help it. I am a sensitive person. Hopefully people can just love me for who I am and not judge me because I don't let my kid play in the sandbox. She is certainly not missing out on anything. And is definitely not behind.

luvmykids replied:

ilovemybaby replied: Thanks luvmykids back to you!