At wet events you may ask why they jump into the water with all their clothes on? Someone says: "That's what I always wanted to do!" To try something unusual is in the nature of young people. For them it's great fun and there is really no reason to forbid such a harmless hobby.

I believe, and science backs up the fact, that we were created out of the dirt and that one of the primary elements that we are made of is good ol' water. Therefore, we have a NATURAL desire to return to these elements. Given non restrictive parents, offer a digging tool, an area of dirt, and a supply of water, even the youngest children find hours of fun in returning to nature by digging in the dirt, making holes, filing them with water, creating mud of various consistencies, and ultimately wearing as much of this creation as possible.

Most children given the opportunity to swim as babies take to water quite naturally. We all have loved the sensation of being wet, the question is, what were you raised to think of as "appropriate" means of getting wet? Did your parents only ever let you experience water other than while in a bath or in a swimsuit playing in the pool or hose? Social norms - something we all face in a variety of life situations.

Some parents, the playful type, might have squirted their kids while washing the car (one of my fav's) but many never dream of getting wet themselves, or of allowing their kids who've been dressed up so nicely to 'ruin' their good clothes and shoes. Many posts on the community boards here at WackyWet share accounts of parents who really get upset over wet clothes, but only a few about parents who encourage wet-clothed, messy, or muddy fun.

The WackyWet site has many places explaining the general benefits of getting wet in clothes, but it's often directed at adults. For parents who are finding that they have kids who love wet clothing, here are several bits of advice on how to handle your water-loving child:

1. Relax
   There can be fewer natural, healthy, and for some, modest expressions of fun and joy than to get wet wearing clothes. Kids, especially very young ones, don't have any natural resistance to playing in water and mud, and attire never stops them. Whether in swimsuit or Sunday Suit, kids are drawn to water and mud. Therefore, to keep 'Billy' from messing up his expensive stuff, make sure you give him clear boundaries and designate 'play' clothes from 'dress' clothes. Make sure you have at least one spare pair of shoes, if not a few. Don't throw out the ones that are a little tight, they still work for wet/muddy play. I tell my son, you can get wet in any of these clothes, but save these for church. Having the freedom to get wet in some clothes will make it easier to stay dry in the good stuff.

2. Drop Your Guard
   Determining what battles to fight has always been a parent's challenge - Clean your room, get up on time, eat your veggies, and the list goes on. WHY fight another? Do you have a boy or girl that enjoys water, dirt, and/or their natural scientific combination, mud? If so, count your blessings. Kids have such a natural tendency to rebel or push the limits with their parents, it's important to choose which areas you'll give no ground in, like smoking, drugs, or alcohol. Some activities, even IF it means more work for you, should be an area of pleasant agreement. The nature of many kids is such that they will push even harder to do that which they "should not" just because it's in their genes to do so, therefore, if you remove water, dirt, and mud play from this list, you then demonstrate that you are NOT just someone who says NO all the time, you can even improve your position by joining in or at least creating the conditions for wet play by trying one of my many suggestions for wet outings with your child (see examples below).

3. Act wisely
   If you remove the stigma of 'trouble' from wet play, and encourage it in your kids, you remove a real danger point, for then they will not fear including you in their wishes and desires for wet play, and as long as they can get wet, you are then free to establish safe guidelines.

   As an example, by the time I was eight, I had decided that wading in creeks was about the best fun a boy could have. I loved playing in the hose and swimming, but I rarely thought about doing that with clothes on. What I WANTED to do was wade into creeks, feel the water in my shoes and socks, then cover my clothing. I constantly imagined myself as an army guy wading through streams neck deep looking for the enemy. Did I ever tell my folks that I was going down to the creek to play? No way, they forbid it, and in some ways, that was wise. Snakes were common in East Texas where I grew up, some quite poisonous. This never stopped me. As I got a little older I expanded my methods for getting wet, and yet it was all shrouded from my parents, or so I thought. My point is, that if you say no to your water-loving child, there's a good chance he'll find a way to do this without your knowledge, and possibly in a much less safe way.

   Truth be told, I agree fully that a child should respect parent's rules and live with the consequences, even the unreasonable ones, but for some kids, that isn't much of a deterrent. Eventually, by age 13, my folks figured out I was always going to get wet, and decided to teach me how to care for my wet clothes, and as long as I didn't leave them a mess, I was now free to get wet and muddy as much as I wanted. This was a good thing, but it came far too late for me, and left me in a mindset to hide it nonetheless, and I continued to go unsafe places for my wet pleasures.

4. Shop wisely for your kids clothes
   First piece of advice, pick clothes that kids can wear on a daily basis - shoes included - that they can get wet or muddy in. Having a classy wardrobe for a kid is rarely for the kid, it is more to make the parent feel good about how cool their kids look next to others. In my book, boys and girls should have canvas shoes, plain white sox, jeans and T-shirts as daily play clothes. They should be able to see a muddy hole, and decide to jump in without hesitation or worry that they will be in trouble for doing so. Purchase a second pair of shoes to alternate with when their regular/play pair gets wet. Removing the inhibition to getting wet in clothes is a very freeing thing for many kids, and it helps them to appreciate "good" clothes even more. Yes, there are some who find great pleasure in getting in a pool in formal attire, but that doesn't change the concept I'm referring to here which simply stated is, LET THE KIDS PLAY!

5. Be Prepared (Scout Motto!)
   Keep at least one complete change of clothes handy, at school, in the car, or in the kids backpack. That way, if it starts raining during the school day, and puddles beckon, they won't be forcing you to get off work to bring a change for your wet kid. I love to be caught unexpectedly with my boy when we're out and rain begins. We run through puddles and soak ourselves, then squish our way down the aisles of the store - and rarely does anyone notice! I've done this with many other kids too, and their folks are usually good natured about it.
   

1. Gather up your kids and a few of their friends and take them to the beach to look for shells, but let them swim in their clothes anyway.

2. This one is often the subject of commercials, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Invite your fully-clothed kid to help you wash the car, and let him/her be the one with the hose. 'nuff said.

3. When your kids are not looking, fill up several water balloons and douse them when they least expect it - be ready for retaliation.

4. Set up a picnic in the garden with your kids and some friends, schedule the sprinklers to come on unexpectedly and watch their faces turn to pure joy!

5. This one will require advanced research. Put on your old clothes and head for the local pool (or out to the back yard if you have one). Ask the lifeguard if you can help your child learn about swimming safety in clothes, and if you promise to shower off, they just might let you swim in clothes! If you have your own pool, what are you waiting for? Who needs swimsuits anyway?

6. During a shopping trip, find a nearby fountain and play follow the leader, right through the fountain.

7. In the middle of the night, when the rain starts pounding, wake your kid up, have them get their old clothes on and go splash in puddles - in the dark!

8. Go to a nearby creek to look for bugs, fishies, and other life, and end up wading in fully dressed to find your adventure.

If you do any of these things with your children and their friends, trust me, you'll be one of the most popular parents on the block, and your kids will praise your coolness. My boy has stated many times that he feels quite lucky to have a dad who will play in the water with him and his friends. Much more importantly, you'll bond with your child by sharing in the wonderful fun of getting wet in clothes.

Please forward any questions about parenting your wet kid to

L2GUW

Alex talks about his two Wet Boys

Our two boys have been real Wetkids since they were ten years old. Some may wonder what these two liked about swimming fully clothed. I never had a problem with that, but the boys didn't know that. Initially they enjoyed their hobby secretly. Their greatest worry was to be misunderstood by their parents. They thought we might prohibit it.

Most parents wouldn't be pleased initially. I'm not sure how I would have reacted if I had found them fully clothed in the bathtub, with half the bathroom flooded. I'm sure I wouldn't have been angry. After all, we can talk about everything.

Anyway, one day it all came to light. There was no stress because of it. As parents we have no objections to their hobby. As long as the boys follow a few simple rules, there is no problem. All we expect is:

1. They dry their clothes properly.
2. They tidy up the bathroom after their sessions.

Their initial secrecy was completely unnecessary. Teenagers need to know that they can talk with their parents about everything. It's no good if they hide their hobby for fear of punishment or misunderstanding. They might even take unnecessary risks because of the secrecy.

As mother or father you may not fully comprehend what's so exciting about getting wet fully clothed. However, the kids certainly have fun with it. I reckon parents should show a bit of understanding and tolerance. You should rethink whether to forbid your teenagers such simple pleasures. Just remember, there are other "hobbies" like stealing cars or using drugs, where most teenagers only get involved because they have nothing better to do.

Car Wash

I was home washing the truck when my 15 year old son rode up on his bike from school. He was totally soaked but happy. I asked him what happened and he told me that the team found out that tomorrow was his birthday and they threw him into the school pool. He smiled and told me he didn't go alone but dragged two others with him. I happened to be holding the hose and told him to put his bike and backpack next to the house as I have something for him.

When he came back I got him again with the hose. His cargos, t-shirt and long sleeved shirt were now totally soaked again. He ran to the side of the house and I continued to wash down the truck. I was scrubbing the front tire when I felt the entire bucket of soapy water hit my head and cascade down my shirt and jeans. He then got the hose and totally got me as I fought back through the spray to get him again. We both were totally soaked as if we'd been tossed into a pool.

This is what makes getting wet a real memorable moment. It is the best "fun" to soak your kids and seeing them having so much fun!

Posted by Jess on September 27, 2002 at 02:55:20

Father catches his Son in the Shower

I've been getting wet since my childhood on many occasions but never spoke about my hobby to my family. Last Saturday I went into the bathroom, and as the door wasn't closed I entered without knocking. To my big surprise I caught my 16 year old son fully clothed in the shower !

He was totally confused in this embarrassing situation, and only looked at me not knowing what to say. I was completely surprised too, and didn't know how to react as well. Then, after a short time of silence, I couldn't resist longer and started laughing like never before. My son, frightened off by my reaction, was totally surprised, as I started laughing like that and tried to smile, not believing what he saw.

Suddenly, I felt that I loved my son so much at that moment, I jumped into the shower with him, and we started wrestling and playing while soaking our clothes together. Afterwards I embraced him closely and we felt so happy together.

I only said: "I know this feels great !"

He said to me what he doesn't say often: "Thanks, Dad. Don't tell mom."

"Sure," I said, "this is our secret !"

It was one of the best showers I ever enjoyed !

Florida Rain

I'm just remembering about my son getting wet. While I love to get wet, I have had little chance. We didn't have a pool. So I usually would go hiking and hit a stream or two, careful of alligators. Mostly I hit mudpuddles. I loved to hike in the rain, but in Florida that's not cool. The lightning could get you.

One great summer day we had the unusual circumstance of real rain, not thunderstorms. I got my son to go bike riding with me. We dressed in our Nikes and jeans, t-shirts and raincoats. I knew the raincoats would not keep us dry, but they helped his Mom deal with this. In addition, the raincoats would help with not getting cold.

We headed out riding down the street to a nearby shopping center. There were some good puddles in the paved parking lot. One was quite deep. I headed into it getting quite a spray and very soaked. My son hollered and followed me. He had seemed to be a little uncertain of this adventure, but when he saw me get soaked and spray water with the bike tires he got clued in.

We found sidewalks that had turned into small ponds. One was on the main street. The water was perfect depth for great spray. We could splash cars driving by. My son loved the deep sidewalk and we kept riding through it. We found some great mud. We got yelled at by people in cars. How many of them were jealous?

Finally the rain stopped and it started getting dark. We headed home, still riding through every puddle. It was his first time getting wet and it was my best time.

Posted by wetattitude on June 05, 2003 at 01:50:52