To Mix or not to mix

So the kids have been obsessed with play dough lately. They have been playing with it everyday. Today I was thinking about the fact that they always feel the need to create their own colors by mixing the fantastic new colors that I just got them. It does get a bit annoying that the new play dough is a nice shade of brown by day four. My sweet hubby and I differ a but when it comes to the proper use of this favorite toy. I think I just don't have the time to make sure that they are not mixing colors while he thinks that mixing should not be an option. Mind you that he is always willing to defer to my thinking on these things since I am the one enforcing the rule. So the point is I was watching them play today when I thought about it. It occurred to me that by letting them mix colors I am teaching them to paint outside the lines. Which I think is one of the best things that you can teach your kids. I think they should learn that they can do things their own way, that there are many paths that originated from the same place. I want them to be independent and not single minded. I think it is these things, the small things that make them who they will become. I hope that some day down the road they can look back and see they learned to blaze their own path and make their own choices because their mom let them mix the play dough.