Having shared living spaces with various roommates, my husband, and now our two energetic children, one truth has remained clear: I’m not a great housekeeper. While our home isn’t a disaster zone, it’s perpetually a bit disheveled. I lack that obsessive desire to constantly scrub every surface. If I’m walking around barefoot and step on a crumb, I don’t leap for the broom. I yearn for a home that gleams. I want guests to walk in and exclaim, “Your house looks amazing! What’s your secret?”
But here’s the reality: despite my aspirations for a spotless home, raising kids makes that goal utterly impractical. Keeping a tidy house with little ones around is just plain impossible. They are chaos incarnate, waking up each day with hands that seem to attract dirt like a magnet. It doesn’t matter if they had a bath the night before; the moment they wake up, they’re on a mission to spread dirt everywhere, from the walls to the light switches, within minutes of emerging from their rooms.
I do my best to maintain cleanliness. I keep disinfecting wipes handy and try to wipe down surfaces whenever I can. I’ve even devised a cleaning schedule to ensure everything gets done. Yet, my kids seem to have a sixth sense about my plans. For instance, they know Monday is bathroom cleaning day, so inevitably, Tuesday morning brings a barrage of potty emergencies. Sometimes it’s even more chaotic, with unexpected bath time messes complicating my freshly mopped floors. They’re onto me, and they’re not having it.
Perhaps your children aren’t quite as unpredictable. Maybe they’re simply snack seekers. Imagine this: you’re busy with chores when your child sweetly asks for an orange. You agree, but only if they eat it at the table. Ha! As if kids ever stay put. They take a bite and immediately dash off to wash their hands, leaving a trail of orange juice and sticky fingers behind. Suddenly, the table and floor are a sticky mess, and it’s like a dinner invitation for every ant in the neighborhood.
Even if I could somehow tackle the food and mess from their antics, there would still be toys everywhere, particularly those classic wooden blocks that grandparents love to gift. They’re fantastic for developing motor skills and sparking imagination, but they’re also perfect for stubbing toes at 3 a.m. I always miss one, and it’s always the one that ends up lodged in my foot.
While I’ve always made an effort to keep my home tidy, the reality is that with kids, it’s a lost cause. I’ve decided to embrace the chaos. I’ll clean up thoroughly when they finally move out. Until then, if you come over, it’s advisable to wear shoes and just convince yourself that any mysterious wet spots on the couch are merely water. That’s what I do.
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In summary, maintaining a clean and orderly home is a daunting task when you have small children. The effort can feel futile amidst the constant messes they create. Acceptance is key; I’ve chosen to prioritize my sanity over spotless floors, focusing instead on enjoying time with my kids while keeping a semblance of cleanliness.