It happens quickly. You find yourself staring at the miracle in front of you, the bundle of joy who you co-created and whose arrival has irrevocably changed your life, and you think to yourself:
'Wow, they’re a bit... weird sometimes, aren’t they?'
It happened to me for the first time when I watched my daughter, who had a runny nose, avoided using her sleeve as a tissue only to use the dog to wipe her nose instead.
Three kids later, I can confirm that I’ve seen so many things that have left me shaking my head, snort-laughing, and often super impressed at how my kids even find such *interesting* ways to be their authentic selves. I've lost count.
Inspired by Zyrtec's new Kids range, helping little ones get back to themselves, Mamamia wanted to ask the parenting community to share photos of their kids getting up to being their wild, weird and wonderful selves.
They get that when kids are suffering from hayfever and allergies, their dynamic and sparkly personalties are dimmed. And we can't have that now can we? Zyrtec Kids new Chewables (for those aged six years and above) and Liquids (for those one and above) work fast to relieve hayfever and allergy symptoms, to have your kid back to being themselves again (whatever fun and mischief might ensue ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). They give long-lasting 12 hour relief, they're free from sucrose, gluten and dye – plus they come in a new kid-friendly grape flavour.
Peace of mind for parents (and minimal dog-nose-wiping for me, check).
And it’s not just me. All parents have a collection of their favourite and wholesome "kids being weird" moments.
Here’s just a taste of some of the best of the bunch.
1. When it comes to clothing, there are no rules.
Imagine walking to your wardrobe of a morning and picking out everything you just really, really like... and putting it on. Forget the rules. Pants as a hat? Go for it. Shorts as a belt? Why not? Or as is the case here, flippers as both shoes and gloves. I mean... sure.
There really is no end to the creative way kids choose to dress themselves when they’re given a little bit of creative licence. And in a time where a lot of what we wear is dictated to us by trends and social media, I'm totally here for it.
2. Some meditate. Others cut grass… with children's safety scissors.
I can safely say that my kids have come up with some pretty creative ways to spend their time. There is no imagination quite like that of a toddler or preschooler. Case in point, these two sisters spending some time in the sunshine ‘cutting the grass’… with children's safety scissors.
Usually this kind of task would require a lawnmower at the very least, but not for this creative bunch. As this was taken during one of the longer pandemic lockdowns in Sydney, their mum was quietly ecstatic at both the initiative shown and the time the task took.
Rumour has it, they were encouraged to head back outside and pick up where they left off the next day.
3. Sometimes imaginative play gets a little... too real.
The lines between real life and roleplay are often blurred with kids. As parents, it’s fascinating to watch their imaginations work in such weird and wonderful ways.
Fiona’s mum introduced us to her daughter ‘Cat’. Because she IS a cat, of course.
Fiona – I mean, Cat – likes her paws wiped, her whiskers groomed, her water in bowls and she meows for attention. After breakfast she really gets into it, licking her hands and then her mum’s face too!
Rule #1 of kids: Thou shalt not break character. Weird on, you wonderful humans.
4. A bed is where you make it.
For the majority of us adults, there's actually nothing better than a comfortable, freshly made bed. For parents in particular, we would pay quite a lot of money to spend more time in said bed. Not for toddlers though. Why nap in bed when there are a myriad of other options available?
Oliver here has always been a creative sleeper, his mum told us. Sure, he’d sleep in his bed sometimes, but also enjoyed mixing it up. The floor, wardrobe and even one especially memorable time, in front of his bedroom door, have all been added to the mix. Even now that he’s a little bit older he still enjoys variety. They do say it’s the spice of life, I guess?
5. They approach life from a different perspective.
…and usually that perspective is upside down.
Kids love to get themselves into the most baffling positions. I guess that’s why we invented monkey bars – why do life the right way up when you can do it upside down?
4-year-old Ollie loves hanging upside down, usually from his bed or couch, and watch the world go by as he tells his family that they are all walking on the roof.
And of course they all go along with it because as any parent knows: it’s their world… we are just living in it (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
6. Sometimes you just need to get muddy.
A common motto uttered by kids around the world? Everything messy and muddy must be taken advantage of. ‘Mud surfing’ is quite possibly the best example of this.
An activity that can only really happen when the weather is at its absolute worst, it’s a popular activity for toddlers through to teens where I live. A couple of days of rain means the popular spots are pumping and all three of my kids pull on their wetsuits, throw their boards into the back of the ute and ask to be taken for a slide. There is something very wholesome about it all, when you get past the epic amounts of mud, grass and heck knows what else they end up covered in.
Less enjoyable is being the parent who gets to stand in amongst said mud, grass and unmentionables while getting rained on, but it certainly earns you Fun Mum points, which are always handy to store up for the next rainy day.
7. They form attachments to weird things.
What’s the weirdest thing you child has every carried around with them? Have they ever taken a saucepan lid to bed? An extra single gumboot to the park? Toddlers have such a penchant for taking normal, everyday items and bringing them along to the most unnatural environments.
Little Finny here went through a stage of wearing goggles and swim caps EVERYWHERE. To the pool of course, but then also to the cafe, to daycare and to dance class. Because, why not?
Kids don’t care for your judgement. And we are so glad because Finny is FABULOUS.
Zyrtec provides hayfever and allergy relief for the whole family with including the kids with their new Kids range of Chewables & Liquids.
Zyrtec Kids provides long-lasting 12 hours of hayfever and allergy relief, and is effective against the symptoms from seasonal allergens like grass, tree and weed pollen, and from allergens like dust, pet dander and mould.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
Feature Image: Supplied.
Do you have kids with allergies or hayfever? Complete this survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher.Always read the label and follow the directions for use.