Painting Fingers and Toes

I am not one to paint my fingernails… EVER. And my toe nails? Well, that’s just rarely. But since Maya received a package with fingernail polish in it, she has LOVED getting her fingers and toes painted. At first she would take it off as soon as she put it on, but it’s starting to be where she’ll let it on for a few days before it came off. Rodney used to tell her, ‘No! You have too keep it on if you put it on!’ but I told him it’s fine. Let her take it off. It doesn’t bother me any! 🙂 It’s interesting to me, though, how she loves doing this. I don’t remember ever being so enthralled with polish. Maybe I was… I’ll have to ask my mom. I’ve found, though, that even if I don’t like the fingernail polish on my fingers, I really enjoy the time together that it takes to do it. I enjoy the conversation and the play; I enjoy watching her fine motor skills get better; I enjoy hearing her reasoning and what 3 year old life is like for her, and I’m praying that during these times, she is learning from me as well.

Today we had a painting toes and fingers session. I let her paint all my fingers and all my toes… which is always a risk if you want it to look perfect. I don’t really care. 🙂 At least not right now. If I need to go somewhere where it needs to look better, I can fix it up (and take it off). Anyway, she made the comment after one hand was painted, “There! Now you’re pretty, Mama!” Now maybe I over reacted but I decided that I was gonna talk to her about what ‘pretty’ is. So we talked. I told her that God made us beautiful from when we were born and we didn’t have on any fingernail polish, any makeup, or even any clothes! And we were still beautiful! So we don’t need makeup, polish, and nice clothes to make us beautiful and pretty. God already made us that. And what REALLY makes us pretty and beautiful doesn’t have anything to do with how we look like, but how we act and treat people. God tells us that beautiful girls/women are ones who love others, treat others kindly, and love God. That is how we are beautiful. She said,’ Yeah Mama. I was NAKED when I was born and I am still pretty. 🙂 (giggles ensuing) And God says to be nice to everyone.” Yep Baby. Pretty much! I told her, now maybe polish makes our fingers look nice, but it doesn’t make us pretty or beautiful! So maybe it’s too much for a 3 year old, but I want her to grow up knowing that this stuff isn’t what makes us pretty and beautiful. Hopefully it will be a lesson I can continue to reinforce throughout her life, and one where she can see it lived out in me. (Until the middle/school teenage years. Then I’m expecting some… ‘Oh Mom! You’re SO behind the times!’ 🙂 ) So until then….