I am perplexed by this question at least weekly. The exchange goes something like this:
Audrey: "Mommy, wanna paint?"
Mom: In a hopeful plea "Water paint Audrey?"
Audrey: "No, no mommy, paint, paint! -outside"
Mom:, "Ugh, alright."
I roll out the butcher paper, get the paint box from the closet and hope for the best.
What follows is one of two scenarios. The Audrey has her way with paints scenario or the mommy is a kill joy scenario. Either way its messy, mommy's flustered, and Audrey is almost always in need of a clothing change and some kind of hosing off.
You see in the Audrey wins scenario I throw all caution to the wind and let her have at it. The free loving mom in me thinks this sort of thing is important. I generally try and look the other way while Audrey has the time of her life painting, with or without brushes, with or without concern for things around her (like Meg) and with utter enjoyment. This lasts until she is so messy she actually asks to be cleaned off or i can't take it anymore and I hose her down. But , as far as I'm concerned, she got to have it "her way" and every now and then I think that's good.
Then there's the mommy kill joy painting scenario in which I try to keep paint off of things I deem difficult to clean, like say, the dog, the front walk way, myself, and Audrey's hair. I personally think that is pretty fair. Audrey however believes it is sheer torture and so unbelievable she often screams at the top of her lungs, "mommy no, no, no....STOP!!!" Its quite embarrassing when your neighbors ask what was going on earlier that morning and the truthful answer is "oh, just some finger paints."
The dilemma will continue undoubtedly for quite some time
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