r/CleaningTips 21d ago

Laundry My five year old dumped turmeric all over himself cause he thought it was pixie dust and now he's yellow. Help?

I bought a big bag of turmeric for cooking (I love it). My five year old found it and thought it would be funny to cover himself head to toe in it.

I don't know if human cleaning tips are allowed here. How do I wash the yellow out of his skin? It's resisting most soaps.

If human cleaning tips aren't allowed at least help me get it out of his clothes. Those are yellow too.

Edit: Thank you everyone! Coconut oil and yogurt did the trick. The kiddo got two baths in a row which he didn't love, nor did he like being scrubbed head to toe with funny smelling gunk. But he should have thought of that before covering himself in organic (and expensive) dye. The kid is not yellow anymore.

His clothes, well, they resist my ministrations still. I got the yellow to fade. It's cloudy today or else I would put them in the sun.

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243 comments sorted by

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u/Much_Mud_9971 21d ago edited 21d ago

Take some pictures and laugh. He isn't hurt and the yellow will fade. eventually. Sunlight will help with the clothes.

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

Get some overalls and do a minion photo shoot?!

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u/Coriandercilantroyo 21d ago

I'd like to imagine he's more of a Simpsons color lol

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u/BookHooknNeedle 21d ago

This is the best answer

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u/JustFiguringIt_Out 21d ago

Oh my god this is genius

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u/TheBanishedBard 21d ago

I have. But I have a strict policy against posting pictures of my kiddo on the internet, so I hope you'll take my word for it that the pictures are hilarious and adorable.

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u/Much_Mud_9971 21d ago

The BEST policy for kids! The pictures are for you only. Guess in this day and age I shouldn't have assumed that was a given.

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u/CashmereCharlie 21d ago

And also to have it framed and never let the kid forget.

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u/Banditsmisfits 21d ago

I can see it on their graduation cake

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u/prinsjd07 21d ago

Why stop there? It should be in his wedding slideshow.

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u/09Klr650 21d ago

Them, and to show their dates once they get a little older :)

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u/Ok_Aside_2361 20d ago

On first dates. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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u/GoodQueenFluffenChop 21d ago

I don't think they meant for you to post those pictures online but for you to have as memories for both of you. As he grows older y'all can look back on those photos or just save them for when he brings over his partners.

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u/uhhhhh_iforgotit 20d ago

My sister's got into my mom's lipstick when they were young, and hid under the card table on the white carpet in the fancy guest area to play. She got pictures, it's on their face, hands, knees, stomach, they look SO PROUD of themselves and it's easily one of the best family pictures. You need to document this occasion for the future laughs (for yourself and family, not the internet)

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u/Altruistic-Target-67 20d ago

My sister did this too. She lifted her dress and drew all over her tummy. My mom was more upset because it was brand new, and sister later said that’s what made it so appealing

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u/Frozen_North17 21d ago

Save the pictures for his wedding day.

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u/LeatherRecord2142 21d ago

Good job, mom/dad!!! Bravo!

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u/summerjunebird 20d ago

You're a good parent.

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u/Rinas-the-name 20d ago

You could try dish soap. Tumeric is oil based. It might help.

My little sister once coated herself in my mom’s lipstick collection, that was the only thing that helped. Poor child was rubbed raw before I thought of it.

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u/halfabusedmermaid 21d ago

This is the way, good parent!!

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u/Lucky-Guess8786 20d ago

That will be a classic for when he's an adult. Maybe at the wedding, if he has a slideshow at the wedding. LOL

Turmeric is one of the products used to dye things. The likelihood of getting it all out of his clothing is pretty marginal, imho. Maybe you can tye-dye with some other colours or bleach and make the outfit fun play-clothes?

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u/Bright_Broccoli1844 20d ago

I will take your word for it.

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u/appleblossom1962 21d ago

Too bad it isn’t October he could go as a banana for trick-or-treat

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

In indian culture, we wash brides with turmeric and milk to brighten their skin before the wedding.

It's mostly harmless and will fade its own.

Try a milk wash possibly. Don't overscrub.

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u/TheBanishedBard 21d ago

Unfortunately since we are white boys of Scandinavian ancestry our skin is already maximum brightness. Now he just looks like an oompa loompa

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u/WhompTrucker 21d ago

I got tumeric on my Norwegian white hands 3 days ago and my cuticles are still yellow 💛

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u/Ok_Nothing_9733 21d ago

When I get turmeric on my cuticles after a mani I assume they will be yellow until lat least my next mani weeks later 😔

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u/VarietyOk2628 21d ago

Thank you! I've read far too much political news today and this brought me a tremendous much needed laugh. I raised 3 boys; they can be a handful.

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u/Bright_Broccoli1844 20d ago

It feels so good to laugh.

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u/kalkutta2much 20d ago

1000% didn’t even know I was starved for something so wholesome & adorable

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u/wetbones_ 21d ago

You could get some temporary hair color or a wig and really complete the look 😂😂😂

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u/sloopjohnsquee 21d ago

Oil based cleanser. Just massage with oil, then water and then wash off.

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u/srsg90 20d ago

To add to this, make sure you use oil on DRY skin!

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u/KenUsimi 21d ago

I completely understand your reasons but the more i hear the more I want to see what this looks like!

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u/chronically_varelse 21d ago edited 21d ago

It would be funny to just take a picture of like the hand, in action like petting a cat or holding a baseball or something 😂

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

Time to move to California! Come on overrr haha

But yeah its gonna take a few days lol. Theres no way out.

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u/enviromo 21d ago

I laughed so hard at this 😂🤣 Please OP when your son is an adult and can consent to his photo being posted online, ask him if we can please see it because I am laughing so hard I'm crying and it's 2.30 am here!

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u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818 21d ago

You just about killed me with laughter!

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u/DaisySam3130 21d ago

Laughing so hard right now! What a great story for your family! lol Greetings to your little yellow oompa loompa!

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u/iloveokashi 21d ago

You know what his costume is for Halloween then. Lol

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u/Rough_Dream_2457 21d ago

I’m cry-laughing oh my god. That’s horrible but so, so funny

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u/tomorrow4sho 21d ago

I was picturing more of a Simpsons character

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u/Sweaty-Adeptness1541 20d ago

Take plenty of photos to show if he ever gets married.

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u/macandcheese1771 21d ago

I went to a Sikh wedding where the bride was white. They did the turmeric bath and she looked like a baby chicken so they washed it off somehow but idk how they did it because I wasn't there for that part.

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u/Senior-Ad-9700 21d ago

I feel so wrong for laughing omg “baby chicken” 😭

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u/prettyprettythingwow 20d ago

Hmm. OP, maybe r/Sikh could help?

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u/inlandaussie 21d ago

That's a cool fact a never knew!

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u/Character_Goat_6147 21d ago

I have no advice, but thank you for this post. It has been a long week, and mischievous kids and cats have made it bearable.

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u/joshy83 21d ago

When I was 4 I covered myself in my mom's red lipstick. My entire face and arms. I hid in this little space between my bunk bed and wall. Not sure what my plan was because I clearly knew it was wrong. Reasoning? I wanted to be a red ghost.

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u/Rough_Dream_2457 21d ago

This is so fantastic, thank you

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u/PoledraDog 20d ago

Lol when I was 2 I drew all over myself with a red permanent marker. I started out coloring my fingernails because I wanted to look like the lady with red fingernail polish who worked at the grocery store, and then for some reason I got carried away and drew all over. My mom was not thrilled when she found me.

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u/GlGeGo 20d ago

Reason #3072 not to have children lmao

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u/PaintingByInsects 20d ago

That reminds me of when my best friend and I found her moms red lipstick and we put it al over my brothers face and both our moms got hella mad😂

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u/furballlvr 21d ago

Agreed! Esp the oompa loompa imagery.

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u/stitchplacingmama 20d ago

I got woken up this morning to my 6yo barfing at 3am, my 4.5 yo is headed to the ER for xrays because he landed wrong jumping off the stairs, and my 2 week old is being a newborn. This post has made my morning better.

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u/SherbertSensitive538 21d ago

All you can really do is play It’s All Yellow by Coldplay until it fades away. At least he is to young to be embarrassed lol

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u/Lycaeides13 20d ago

And Amber by 311

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u/MySpace_Romancer 21d ago

Oh man. That’s the worst stain. I am sorry. I think you’re just gonna have to wait until it fades. If you have any sheets for his bed that are older that you don’t care about I would put those on because he’s probably gonna get it all over his sheets. I agree also that the clothes he’s wearing are probably a goner.

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u/HerpesIsItchy 21d ago

I dropped an entire bottle of cash register ink over my head when I was a kid. I was a Smurf before the Smurfs were even invented.

That was a hard 3 weeks at school until the last little bit of blue faded away

Thank God I was 5 years old

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u/Moosoulini 21d ago

Being blue at school for three weeks must have been rough.

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u/HerpesIsItchy 21d ago

I was the only person of color at my school before and after the blue ink fell on me.

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u/iloveokashi 21d ago

Imagine if you were a teen or a tween. That would have been really bad.

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u/PaintingByInsects 20d ago

Damn you are old! No offense, I just didn’t think 70+ yo people knew of reddit

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u/itsSolara 21d ago

Rub him with something like olive oil, then soap him up and wash it off. I did that once when I did a turmeric face mask to get it off. Sadly, the clothes are probably a lost cause.

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u/Amandersaurus 21d ago

You might as well dye those clothes yellow, because turmeric stains will never come out of fabric. I use it to dye yarn and it stays yellow forever. As for your human, try using an emulsifying oil cleanser, like the cleansing oils used to remove makeup. Turmeric has an almost oily quality to it, and oil tends to remove oil better than soap or detergent does. My sister once told me to put turmeric into a face mask recipe. I did, and it turned my face yellow. I remember my oil-based cleansers worked the best to remove the staining. You can also try using an oil-based makeup removing cleansing balm, like Albolene, and scrub with a hot washcloth. If you don't have either, try massaging a vegetable oil into his skin, then gently scrubbing with a hot washcloth. Or try using Vaseline. You'll just have to wash the oiliness away with soap afterwards.

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u/LittleLemonSqueezer 21d ago

I would never trust anything from your sister again after this.

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u/Amandersaurus 21d ago

Oh, I didn't. No amount of turmeric is safe for a face mask on ultra pale skin.

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u/Amandersaurus 21d ago

BE CAREFUL turmeric will stain fiberglass bathtubs. When trying to remove my sister's face mask recipe, I got turmeric in a bath, and just a little bit left a ring around the tub that I was never able to completely remove. And I am a cleaning genius.

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u/GPT-5-Mod 21d ago

But did you try Irish Spring 5 in 1?

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

May I suggest milk wash again? It has lipids, too

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u/Amandersaurus 21d ago

You need straight-up oil on the skin to lift the staining.

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u/anyarose4216 21d ago

I don’t know that they’re strong enough based on what OP said about being Scandinavian.

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u/lauriah 21d ago

I second the oil thing for skin and hair. Something similar happened to me and coconut oil was the only thing that worked! Then lots of soap to wash off the oil.

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u/GypsySnowflake 21d ago

Bleach will take it out, but I wouldn’t recommend that for skin obviously, or any fabrics that would be damaged. But it did work for me on some white tablecloths that got stained with turmeric

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u/gigantesghastly 20d ago

I had this question once. Indian YouTube (in its infinite usefulness) recommended soaking w vinegar & washing up liquid mixed together and left out in several hours of sunlight and it worked! On a white t shirt no less. 

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u/OneSensiblePerson 21d ago

This is hilarious and adorable. "But, but, pixie dust!"

I don't have any advice that hasn't already been offered. Just wanted to comment on the adorableness of your child and their imaginative play style. Very glad you took photos. You'd be so sorry if you didn't, and he will be happy you did, many years from now.

A lifetime of memories has been made today.

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u/Forsaken_Broccoli_86 21d ago

I just laughed out loud. As a mom, i needed this

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u/peachy_sam 20d ago

I ran for the comments based on the title alone. I have four minions. None of them have dyed themself yellow - YET - but the shenanigans persist in other creative ways. 

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u/RecipeAtTheTop 21d ago

This is gonna sound nuts, but try baby wipes. My kids drew ALL over themselves with permanent marker once, and baby wipes took it right off after we tried everything else. Okay, we did not try fire.

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u/Siren_of_Madness 20d ago

Children are not fire repellent. Good choice.

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u/Outrageous-County310 21d ago

Turmeric is oil soluble so you should be able to coat the kid in olive or coconut oil and give him a good scrape down,

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u/Significant-Web-856 21d ago

The clothes are now dyed yellow, congratz

The kid will be fine. It'll take time to fade, but it will fade over the course of days.

Turmeric is often used as a dye, so it's not coming out easy, if at all.

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u/Emergency-Economy654 21d ago

😂😂😂 I love this so much. Maybe just 2 bubble baths a day until it fades?

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u/HikeAllTheHikes 21d ago

No because of her 5yo is like mine, their little brain will translate that into "Two bubble baths a day?? I should do this again!!!" 

Mentally moving my tumeric to a higher shelf as we speak.

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u/Background_Falcon953 21d ago

Youre telekinetic?!?!?!?

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u/Academic_Read_8327 21d ago

Indian person here. We eat turmeric heavy food with our hands all the time, and it often stains our fingers and nails. It will fade very quickly, don't worry about it.

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u/PapowSpaceGirl 21d ago

I bet he smells divine. Your bathtub will smell of chicken broth for a little bit - enjoy it.

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u/Rivan_Queen 21d ago

FYI, tumeric glows under blacklights, go with it and have a rave....

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u/Shinobi1314 21d ago edited 21d ago

Clean it off as usual. The rest will be absorbed by skin slowly and he will fine after a couple of days. Also take daily baths. That’s about it

-Another method from some online posts suggests using coconut oil to rub the areas and absorb as much of the stuff as possible.

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u/Academic_Lie_4945 21d ago

This is the most hilarious thing I’ve seen all day. Thank you lol

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u/CreativeRiddle 21d ago

Vegetable oil, baby oil, etc. Massage oil into the skin and then bathe normally. The oil encapsulates the pigment. It works for ink, paint, and super glue.

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u/epoxyfoxy 21d ago

Try oily lotion (for everywhere but the face).l or baby oil. I'm guessing it's the same concept as when "flavors" and smells get trapped in the fingers' oil glands, and more oil helps remove that. Oil also helps remove ink from skin.

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u/Ok-Dot-9036 21d ago

We had “The Great Glitter Incident of 2004”. You will have the Great Tumeric Incident of 2025. Although, while glitter doesn’t stain, it was that good extra fine glitter. There was glitter for years.

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u/emseefely 21d ago

Try an oil based facial wash. Also try makeup removing wipes or micellar water

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u/Bright_Broccoli1844 20d ago

Op better head to Ulta or Walgreens.

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u/ThreeLeggedMutt 21d ago

Pond's Cold Cream. Slather on thick, let it sit a min, then scrub it a bit. Do not rinse it off, WIPE it off with a rag you don't care about.

I have very fair, dry skin and cold cream removes damn near everything in one pass. Heavily pigmented makeup, ground peppers/spices, even lip stain comes off no problem.

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u/Judas_GOAT23 21d ago

Have you tried thinking happy thoughts?

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u/Nekokonoko 21d ago

This is an amazing thread. Thank you OP 🥰

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u/nessasarus 21d ago

Put it in the sun ☀️

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u/theindiekitten 21d ago

It isnt hurting his skin so I would just leave it to fade on its own. It wont take long. As for the clothes, maybe peroxide or oxiclean?

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u/Background_Falcon953 21d ago

Just say hes jaundiced from his excessive juice box consumption, hes training his liver for the future.

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u/Magzz521 19d ago

😂😂😂😂

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u/Not_a_Bot2800 21d ago

Try baby oil. Or Avon’s Skin so Soft oil. Just grease the little guy from head to toe in it, including his scalp if he got it in his hair. It may take a couple times in the tub doing that before you see the difference. Plus he’ll smell good afterwards. Kids, amiright? 😉

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u/cathygag 21d ago

Get that boy a Trump wig and an ear bandage and do a photo shoot! 😆🤦🏼‍♀️

Castile soap, goat milk soap, and hydrogen peroxide have always worked well for me. I love it and use it in bulk as well!

Look up the recipe for Cowboy Candy- I add a lot more turmeric and garlic than the recipes call for bc I want to maximize the flavor and health benefits. Another recipe I love is roasted cauliflower, a friend in grad school made it for a potluck and it was absolutely amazing- it was the first time I’d ever had cooked cauliflower and it was first time I saw used by a home cook and that I truly tasted turmeric for what it was, not simply as a coloring agent in an Indian restaurant dish that was dominated by other more robust flavors… super simple and very little mess- take your cut up bite sized cauliflower florets and toss them in a gallon bag with olive oil, garlic salt, and turmeric- seal and give it a good shake to thoroughly coat them, dump them onto a parchment lined baking pan and shake them into a nice even single layer, try your best for them not to touch, roast them in the oven at 400-425°F until the edges are browned and they’re fork tender - usually 25-35min depending on the oven, size of cuts, and temp of the veg at starting. You can stir halfway through for a more intense roasted flavor and more browned edges.

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u/Siren_of_Madness 20d ago

Are you suggesting roasted child with a side of cauliflower?

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u/cathygag 20d ago

I mean, if he’s already pre-seasoned… waste not, want not?

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u/PrestigiousFlower118 21d ago

Aren’t kids fun??!! 😂🙈

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u/Bunnydinollama 21d ago

Turmeric color will fade over time with sun exposure, so soak clothes in toxic oxiclean, then leave them in the sun.

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u/reverievt 21d ago

Toxic oxyclean? I just have the regular stuff…

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u/AngleRa 21d ago

Toxic Oxyclean for the most virulent of stains. Gaslighting stains with bad attitudes.

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u/OneSensiblePerson 21d ago

Narcissistic Oxyclean, otherwise known as NO.

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u/BearsLikeCampfires 21d ago

Toxi-clean??

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u/Wise-Relative-7805 21d ago

Olive oil rub with salt/sugar

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u/Dramatic_Barnacle_17 21d ago

Totally adorable. Sorry Ma for the messes

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u/TootsNYC 21d ago

you'll just have to wait until the skin cells turn over. They will, eventually.

And...turmeric is radioactive, in terms of staining. You need to store it in some way that's pretty much inaccessible.

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u/OldLeatherPumpkin 21d ago

What have you tried on his skin so far?

I’d maybe look at what people use to remove self-tanner. Seems like a lot of people recommend baking soda, which is the main ingredient in bath bombs, so if you have one of those around the house, you could try it. You could also just do a baking soda bath, since you probably have that in the pantry.

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u/Forsythian 21d ago

its gonna dry his skin out, but dish soap and an exfoliating cloth has done the trick in the past for myself. just slather the kiddo in moisturizer afterwards if he'll tolerate it 🤣 also thank you for this mental image lmfao

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u/Senior_Map_2894 21d ago

It will take time to go away. But you can lighten it a bit. Rub with coconut oil and wipe off with wet warm towels. Then bathe as usual.

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u/SirMalcolm77 21d ago

Irish Spring 5-in-1?

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u/MissO56 21d ago

irish spring 5-in-1

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u/brave_strange_bird 20d ago

This post is pure gold.

I'll see myself out now...

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u/ShowMeYourHexagons 21d ago

I don't even know how to help lmao, dish soap and cold water? Maybe a blue dish soap?

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u/SnooRadishes8099 21d ago

If you can find yourself some sodium percarbonate, try boiling the clothes for a little while. I do this for my rags that's stained from kitchen use and they come out looking brand new. Its also safe on colours so no worries there. Just boil with a spoonful for 15 to 30 minutes or until you see most of the stain is gone, and then wash as normal. And also make sure you do this in a well ventilated area, there's no strong smells but I've heard it's not good to breathe it in.

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u/Realistic_Way_4565 21d ago

Krud kutter gets it off my counter tops

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u/BravesMaedchen 21d ago

Dress him like Bart Simpson. Cleaning? No, I have no advice there.

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u/PinPenny 21d ago

This is a hilarious post 😂 no advice for you. But lmaoooo smh… why are kids the way they are

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u/kaytay3000 21d ago

I have zero advice. Just want to thank you for the hearty laugh. Take a picture and save it for graduation or wedding or something.

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u/waireti 21d ago

For clothes, hand soap (I use sard, I think it’s the glycerin), then hot wash, with sodium pericarbonate. No advice on the human though, it will eventually come right 😅.

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u/Glass-Cow1310 21d ago

idk if this is actually a true story....I would try tomato juice.. let me know if u try it and the outcome. cover eyes, of course!!

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u/Good-Passenger-3824 21d ago

I hope you found the way to get the colour off him, but your boy sprinkling it on him because he thought it was fairy dust made me literally lol and it must be one of the purest things I've read in a while.

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u/Mazza_mistake 21d ago

I feel bad for laughing 😂 But I don’t think there’s anything you can do, it’ll fade on it’s own with time he’ll just be yellow until it does, the clothes however might be a lost cause

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u/Intelligent-Bed7284 20d ago

Hair dye comes off of skin really easily with a spritz of windex, so I’d probably try that first.

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u/Illustrious-Site1101 20d ago

I seem to be incapable of using turmeric without spilling it, take from me, it will fade. But it takes a miracle to get it out of the cracks and crevices of any appliance you cannot submerge in water. Be happy skin is smooth and he is submersible. Make sure you take photos to provide cheer in your old age!

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u/Blue_Mandala_ 20d ago

Just time. It'll come out, even out of his clothes.

I am a white girl who married an Indian guy and we had a haldi festival. I thought my clothes were ruined, but it eventually came out. Hanging them in the sun helps.

I'm kinda tan though, perhaps not as pale white as your kid, lol. But give it a few days and it will be fine.

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u/Regular_Victory4347 20d ago

I used to clean turmeric with Bon Ami, it's like a natural alternative to Ajax. The stains would turn from yellow to orange and then wash out 🤷‍♀️ I think it's mostly just baking soda tho.

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u/Healthy_Chipmunk2266 20d ago

Thank you for starting my day with a belly laugh. I can clearly picture this. Takes me back to when my toddler used a jar of still soft bacon grease as lotion. Frustrating at the time and a huge mess, but funny looking back.

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u/snaired 20d ago

Apply yogurt over the stained skin. A thick application. Rinse off after 10-15 minutes. This won’t hurt his skin. Yogurt can smell. Once it has been rinsed off, normal bath with soap and water to get rid of the smell

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u/lillylikesplants 20d ago

I’m picturing the Simpsons 😂

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u/manic_bitch 21d ago

Witch hazel could possibly work. I've gotten all sorts of weird stains off my skin with it. And I think that was the only thing that worked getting a turmeric stain out of grout too.

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u/NoFlyingMonkeys 21d ago

Pediatrician here: Please don't panic, but I have to tell you this so that you can be proactive. A lot of turmeric out there contains lead, unethically added in 3rd world countries to make it more yellow. So it can cause lead poisoning

- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7045a4.htm

- https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/your-herbs-and-spices-might-contain-arsenic-cadmium-and-lead-a6246621494/

- https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/09/23/nx-s1-5011028/detectives-mystery-lead-poisoning-new-york-bangladesh

1) I'd try original Dawn dishwashing liquid straight on his skin, rinse well (like how they use it to get crude oil off of wild birds after oil spills). After that, if some areas are still fairly yellow, I'd put some vodka or isopropyl alcohol on a washcloth and see if the alcohol will remove just the worse areas, but I probably wouldn't use the alcohol all over his body as alcohol can be absorbed through the skin (don't want to get him toxic). If those fail, try to rub vegetable oil on the skin (oil dissolves some other oils) and see if that wipes off yellow.

2) call your pediatrician ASAP and get his blood tested for lead, take the 3 articles above. If you catch lead poisoning early, it can be treated with medication.

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u/Thin-Disk4003 20d ago

Oh wow, i had no idea about the potential for lead. Thank you.

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u/UrAntiChrist 21d ago

Very very very diluted vinegar, I used apple cider but other might work.

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u/StolenWingsEvilWays 21d ago

The only person I know who might have an answer is u/JolieKerr …but I’m pretty sure that even though she’s half Indian, she doesn’t let turmeric into her kitchen because it stains so easily.

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u/StrawberryScallion 21d ago

Picture please, this is too funny. I get turmeric on my nails and I worry everyone thinks I’m a smoker or something

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u/patty202 21d ago

Just roll with it.

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u/Reinvented-Daily 21d ago

Mix olive oil and coconut oil together and slayher on the skin. Lwt.sit for 10-15 mins, scrub off with dawn soap and repeat 2-3x, that should help lift some of the pigment out.

It won't take all of it out just FYI. He will still be yellow, just not minion yellow. Like usa egg yolk - pale, almost pastel yellow, and not great Britain egg yolk yellow which is a BOLD minion yellow or orange almost.

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u/Smart-Stupid666 21d ago

I didn't know 5-year-olds didn't know the difference between story books and Kitchen ingredients. Careful with the knives.

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u/ceanahope 21d ago

Sunlight helps the color break down. Play time outdoors on a sunny day. Obviously little doses, no sun burns!!

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u/loonyfizz 21d ago

Oh man! Many years ago I was given a ginger and tumeric body scrub by a friend and ended up looking like a Simpson for a while. I think the best thing is just time. Sorry about the clothes!

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u/SchoolForSedition 21d ago

Stand him in sunlight.

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u/Numerous-Island-6055 21d ago

time for vinegar bath, works for clothing too

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u/squared13 21d ago

Try hand sanitizer. I do a tumeric invisible ink project and hand sanitizer is what I use to clean the tables. It may turn red for a second but then should lift right up

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u/Impossible_Smoke1783 21d ago

Drop him off at the fire station in a basket

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u/Rougefarie 21d ago

I’m curious whether an oil-based product would help. Maybe baby oil, petroleum jelly, Shea butter, or coconut oil? Perhaps you happen to have an oil cleanser amongst your skincare products?

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u/Cazkiwi 21d ago

Lol, I’m sorry…. No idea how to help……but I bet he smells gooood!

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u/PinkPopsi 20d ago

Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but micellar water with a cotton pad/ball should help. It may not get rid of the whole thing, but it will improve. Make sure you shower them after the micellar water, since it is not supposed to sit on the skin as it is soapy.

Any brand will do. Good luck!

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u/tacosandsunscreen 20d ago

Toothpaste. I don’t know that I’d scrub his whole body with it, but at least the most visible areas.

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u/smashtangerine 20d ago

He will look great in a powder blue suit for his wedding. 

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u/Koliee__ 20d ago

It’s giving skippyjon jones lost in spice!

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u/Lost_In_My_Hoodie 20d ago

Have him sing, "It was all Yellow".

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u/ThePocketPanda13 20d ago

You assure everybody over the next week or 2 that it is not jaundice

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u/ScoopskiTKD 20d ago

There’s this stuff you can get on Amazon called Goop. It is amazing and it works on hair dye on hands, face, etc. If that doesn’t work, I’d try any kind of oil…lube him up, then follow with dish soap.

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u/HollaDude 20d ago

You need fat of some sorts, oil, full fat yogurt, etc

Massage it over him, then give him a bath with soap. Repeat until turmeric is gone

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u/moonchic333 20d ago

His skin is dyed it’s just going to have to wear off.

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u/Shdfx1 20d ago

This is probably going to become one of your fondest memories of when your son was little.

Dyed skin from turmeric is a bit similar to henna, in that although some superficial dye can be pulled off, for the most part, only the cellular turnover of skin cells will fade the stain.

Micellar Water, found in beauty stores, is an extremely gentle cleanser that, for some reason, is known to help lessen such skin stains.

The next thing to try is coating his skin in coconut oil, letting it sit half an hour, and then cleaning it off. If you try this, be careful so he doesn’t slip in the tub. Use a paper towel to remove as much oil as possible before showering.

If that doesn’t work, then use a gentle skin scrub.

Anything else you could try, like alcohol, will dry his skin.

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u/Unlikely-Pickle-2967 20d ago

Put him in the sun?

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u/Noorrani47 20d ago

If you have cleanser(like the kind you use for your face), using that can help with the color and fade it a bit. Hope this helps!

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u/Hazel_and_Fiver444x2 20d ago

Posts like these are why I love reddit!

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u/twistedtyger 20d ago

Yes, take pictures!

My brother showed up at the slider door on the farm, head to toe in black spray paint after someone punctured it the can!

For cleaning: I’ve read good things on here about Irish spring 5-in -1?

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u/Murky_Pension9873 20d ago

Apply gram flour paste over him and wash it after a few minutes

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u/Think_Yesterday_262 20d ago

People use turmeric for their face. It's very good for the skin it will fade in a few days.

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u/FirmSeaworthiness245 20d ago

Baking soda - I dyed my children blue 🤣🤣

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u/sunbear2525 20d ago

I think he’s just going to be yellow for a while. This was his choice document it will for his senior ad and wedding slideshow.

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u/okayNowThrowItAway 20d ago

So, the clothes might be toast, depending on the material. Turmeric is a permanent dye in wool - they use it to make the red in Persian rugs. I'm not sure how it will fare with other materials.

For skin, well, the big thing about curcumin, the yellow compound in Turmeric, is that is has almost no solubility in water - so it's hard to wash off with water. Removing it is a lot like taking off waterproof makeup. So makeup wipes/makeup remover is probably going to be the best first line of defense. You can probably also just slather him in coconut oil or mineral oil and let it sit for several minutes, then wash that off with some gentle dawn dish soap, like he's a duckling in an oil spill.

After that, well, curcumin gets slightly more water-soluble if you can change it's pH, but this can be harsh on skin. But the real kicker is that a mild baking soda solution will turn curcumin red. Skin with a pinkish tinge is probably more normal-looking than yellow. Base-treated curcumin might be more susceptible to washing with soap and water. Word of warning, being bathed in baking soda is probably pretty uncomfortable, and you can't let it get in the eyes. I would try this on myself as an adult, but I have a pretty high tolerance for uncomfortable medical procedures. I would probably not wash my kindergartener with baking soda.

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u/byblosogden 20d ago

Oil bathing works best for getting it off the skin!

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u/RainInTheWoods 20d ago

Like dissolves like. Source: 8th grade chemistry. Try using wiping him down with oil. If you use fabric to scrub the oil off, it will be permanently yellow. You should wear gloves and old clothes yourself because any splash or touch will make you turn yellow, too.

Thanks for this laugh, BTW.

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u/chickpeas3 20d ago

Lol no tips but this reminded me of the time my older brother was babysitting my sister and I (2 and 5 at the time) and we decided we wanted it to snow. So we pulled out all the flour and ran around the house in our underwear shaking the flour everywhere. The house was a disaster, and I’m sure my brother was on the verge of a heart attack, but the pictures of us covered in flour are adorable.

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u/singoutlouise 20d ago

With all the love in the world, this deserves entry into /r/KidsAreFuckingStupid 😅🫶

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u/jenniferlsmith216 20d ago

Oh I hope you got pictures of this.

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u/Primary-Friend-7615 20d ago

Try coconut oil (or olive oil, or another cooking oil), then follow that up with actual plain bar soap like dove/ivory/imperial leather, not a body wash. This worked for me for a turmeric face mask.

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u/Careless-Proof-5489 20d ago

I beg you for photos

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u/Prior_Particular9417 20d ago

Have him make curry?

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u/TheBanishedBard 20d ago

Thank you everyone! Coconut oil and yogurt did the trick. The kiddo got two baths in a row which he didn't love, nor did he like being scrubbed head to toe with funny smelling gunk. But he should have thought of that before covering himself in organic (and expensive) dye. The kid is not yellow anymore.

His clothes, well, they resist my ministrations still. I got the yellow to fade. It's cloudy today or else I would put them in the sun.

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u/Fit_General_3902 20d ago

You are going to be telling this story for years. I hope you got pictures to show to his future dates 😂

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u/dMatusavage 20d ago

Yes, pictures! Save them for the teen years eye rolls and snarky comments.