Image source: Microsoft.
If you give a boy a paintbrush, he’ll want to help you paint.
If you agree to let him help, you’ll have to give him a bucket of paint.
If you give him a bucket of paint, he’ll spill some on the floor, and you’ll have to give him a rag to clean it up.
When he has a rag to clean up, he’ll make a bigger mess trying to wipe up the spill, and he’ll get paint all over himself.
When he gets paint all over himself, you’ll send him to the bathroom sink to clean himself up.
While cleaning himself up, he’ll splash paint-water all over the bathroom mirror, and you’ll give him paper towels and window cleaner to clean the mess.
After cleaning up the mirror mess, he’ll get water all over the floor.
When he gets water all over the floor, he’ll need more paper towels to clean it up.
After cleaning up the water on the floor, you’ll tell him to go chill out and listen to his iPod for a little while.
After listening to his iPod for a little while, he’ll get bored.
And when he’s bored, he’ll ask if he can help you paint.*
* Inspired by actual events.
Lisha Writes 
OMG – fantastic! So many of life’s experiences are “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” – hope u and the crew are doing well and creating more magical memories!
OH HOW I CAN RELATE!!!!
There’s a lot of that relating going around here! Isn’t it funny how our boys can be so different is so many ways, yet so much alike deep down.
Thanks for stopping by, Mike. I watched the video you posted, and LOVED it!
Love this! I had Maycee help me paint my bedroom after we moved in…I gave her the bottom half of the room (above the cut in trim), and I did the top…well…I did the bottom and top…after her work on the bottom half was done…about 30 minutes into the all-day project, LOL! 😉
Kudos for letting her participate! I’m sure Maycee will remember, and I see you smiling through your words here. That, my friend, is what this is all about!
Haha!! That was so cute and such a clever way to tell your story. Your messy story. Your son’s messy story. (Thanks for linking up with us over at #findingthefunny this week!)
You’re quite welcome! It was a fun little piece to post. I hope I can be funny again next week!
Admittedly? That’s pretty much what happens when I paint!
Oh, Megan, it happens to all of us. But no one dares to write a blog about us!! Thanks for stopping by.
P.S. I really loved your fake interview with John Grisham!
I love this little series you have created. So much fun. If I give my boy some magnets, he’s quiet for hours. Maybe you should try that. 😉
I cannot tell you how many times I have muttered “If you give a pig a pancake” to have them smile back (if they are a mom) or reply with a blank stare (otherwise.) thanks for the giving a pig a pancake story!
How fun! Love this!
Hahaha! Too funny! (Especially the end where you put *inspired by actual events!) My oldest is 9, I’m stilling trying to decided if I would have given her a paint brush to begin with 🙂 LOL.
Definitely do, Kate. Just make sure the floor is covered! We ended up letting him paint a closet after the mess, because I wasn’t being as picky about the all-white closet as I was about the walls. He go to paint the “whole thing,” so he had a bit of ownership, too!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Omigosh that’s too funny I posted about this same thing except I spilled a gallon of paint on my floor so I’m the one your talking about :). This is so true gotta love our little helpers and big in my case 🙂 Thanks for the laugh and funny reminder hugs! Michelle w
I do, indeed, love my helpers. And regardless of the messes (I know) they’ll make, I love their help! Thanks for stopping by, Michelle!
Bla Bla Bla every parent knows this. So where is your inspired solution????
No inspiring solution. Just a tale of life with my boys.
I was hoping you’d be inspired by the idea that he helped, despite not being very good at it. For that’s how little boys develop the skills to become men.
That’s great that you let him help! Cute post.
Oh, yes. Everyone helps around here! And everyone helps clean up!
LOL! This is good to bear in mind for our inevitable painting and like projects to come. 😉
Yes, Deborah, it’s a lot of fun watching them “help.” Worth the effort (as long as you have the time)! Our current Work In Progress is a 3BR ranch, so there’s a lot of elbow room for him!
Sometimes little boys are 55+ years old.
Kay, we had all three boys painting Saturday. Mr. Wonderful was doing electrical stuff, so he missed out on being blog fodder — this time. 🙂
Good stuff! Life with boys!
Yes, Kasey, life with boys is grand! We ended up tasking him with painting the inside of a closet. He did a lovely, lovely job! (And then I touched it up!)
Hehe – I’ve had this happen! Yea, Mom, for still letting him help! 🙂
Oh, yes. If boys got out of working by not being very good at it, my boys would be “inept” at a lot of things.
I remember when we repainted our house after Katrina. Fresh drywall, exposed subfloors, a giant paint roller. He was 5 years old then, and we let him “paint” the whole kitchen himself! It was a lot more fun without worrying about the mess, though.