Big Mistake...

Little Z was sitting in the living room reading her school reading book, Big J was sitting at the table finish the breakfast left over in the bowl from the morning and I was minding my own business in the kitchen. It was quiet. Actually, when I think back, it was probably too quiet.

Big J then appeared at the kitchen door with an "I'm going to have fun watching you get cross" expression on his face, showing me his hands which were covered with white stuff. Several times I asked him what it was, but all he did was smile and say "I put that all over my hands." What was it? Then the truth dawned as I looked across at where he had been sitting to see a Tipex bottle on its side in the middle of a white puddle. As I got closer, I realised the full extent of the damage: White splodges up the wall, white streaks up the glass of the patio doors, white patches on the dining room chair he'd been sitting on and a breakfast bowl (with no breakfast in) swilling with Tipex. Apart from that smell, which will probably bring me back to that moment every time I smell it in future, I really did not know where to start with clearing up the mess or how to start with discussing with him what he had done. I usually insist that the children clear up their own mess, especially where they have made it deliberately, but the Tipex had started to dry and just would not come off with normal detergent.

After much perseverance, we managed to clean it off the table and windows. The wall will have to wait until we decorate again. The bowl went in the bin. The boy spent the evening pealing the tipex off his fingers like PVA glue. Two days later, I am still finding Tipex in unusual places and am now being very careful when completing applications as I have no way off correcting mistakes.

So, at the end of it all, what have I learned? Well, I'm not sure. This morning I intercepted a 'hairspray incident'. Maybe I have learned not to let him out of my sight!

Thinking of having children? Are you sure?