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Keeping a Tidy Home Is Total Nonsense
I’ve shared living spaces with roommates, just my partner, and now I’m navigating life with my husband and two lively kiddos. Throughout this journey, one thing has been crystal clear: I am not the best at keeping a clean house.
We’re not living in a pigsty, but let’s just say my home has a constant state of “lived in.” I don’t possess that obsessive need to scrub every surface at all hours. If I’m walking barefoot and step on a stray crumb, I’m not sprinting for the broom. Sure, I dream of a sparkling clean home where guests marvel, “How do you keep it so pristine?”
But here’s the kicker: I have kids. And honestly, maintaining a tidy house with little ones around is pure madness.
It’s virtually impossible to achieve a spotless environment when you have small children. They are like little tornadoes, wreaking havoc on cleanliness. They wake up with dirt-covered hands, and it doesn’t matter how many baths you gave them the night before. The moment they rise, their tiny fingers will be smearing grime everywhere before breakfast even begins. Everything they touch—from the walls to the light switches—ends up covered in sticky fingerprints within seconds of their emergence from their rooms.
Still, I make the effort. I keep wipes handy and try to wipe down surfaces as quickly as I can. I even have a cleaning schedule in place, mapping out what needs attention each day, so theoretically, my home should never be too messy. But my kids? They don’t care about my plans. They seem to have an uncanny ability to sense when I’ve just cleaned. For instance, if I scrubbed the bathroom on Monday, you can bet they’ll all need to use it multiple times on Tuesday—each time a mini disaster waiting to happen. It’s like they conspire against my cleaning efforts!
Maybe your housemates aren’t quite as messy, but they still create chaos. Picture this: your child sweetly requests an orange while you’re knee-deep in laundry. Of course, you agree, but insist they eat it at the table. Ha! As if they can sit still. They take a bite, run to wash their hands, and suddenly there’s orange juice everywhere—on the kitchen table, the floor, and probably even on the dog. Ants seem to know when dinner is served in my house, and despite my best efforts, the floor is their buffet.
Even in a perfect world, void of food or mess-related catastrophes, toys would still be strewn about. You know those classic wooden blocks that grandparents love to gift? They’re excellent for motor skills development and imaginative play but also perfect for stepping on at 3 a.m. I can never seem to pick them all up, and the one I miss? That’s the one that guarantees a painful foot encounter.
I’ve never been the most organized housekeeper, but I’ve always tried. However, with kids, it feels like an impossible task. So, I’m throwing in the towel. I’ll tackle the cleaning once they grow up and move out. Until then, if you visit, just wear shoes and pretend that wet spot on the couch is nothing but water. It’s what I do!
For more insights on parenting and home management, check out our other blog posts, including resources on infertility and home insemination techniques—because let’s face it, parenting is a wild ride!