Instead of resigning from my position as housekeeper of our home, I have decided to become resigned to the fact that my home will not look like this. ... until the kids have all moved away from home. I've decided my aim has been too high for this point in my life. There is no way my house can look like my parents'! I'm trying my darndest to remember what my parents' home actually looked like while all 7 of us kids were still living at home and wreaking havoc on it. The pictures I've shown are of my parents' current home. I guess I'll have to work to earn in and put in my time like they did. (Why didn't I realize this a long time ago??) I'm ok with it. I'm going to try to not dwell on the messes and endless line of laundry baskets and dishes to be done... and the toys on the floor... and the cushions from my couch never actually being ON my couch. My house will be "kid friendly" and a continual "work in progress" for the next 18 years. Then we'll sell it "as is" and buy a brand new, clean home, have my mom personally decorate it, and watch things stay where I put them all day long. Until then, I just want to announce to the world that this is the way it is going to be. I'm not going to STOP doing the things that need to be done, but I'm not going to expect them all to be done at the same time. I'm going on a one-clean-room-a-day sort of plan. OK, there isn't really a plan. But I'm going to start with FlyLady's suggestions for babystepping my way to organization - one thing a day. That way I can stop feeling overwhelmed and be content that I'm making progress. Just please don't be surprised when you come to visit. Ask me to show you to the clean-room-of-the-day.
This is the last you will hear of my house-cleaning-woes.
I promise.
Really.
The End
7 comments:
Okay, I love your clean-room-of-the-day idea. :-) But Suzie, I think you do a fantastic job of keeping house. I always love walking through your front door. I am proud of you though, for realizing the stage of life you are in does not allow for the perfectionism you would like. Just enjoy it. Now I need to take these words of advice myself. I will see you tomorrow.
I say three cheers to you!!! You're not letting anything go, you're just holding on to what's more important (family, friends, and sanity!!).
You have been an inspiration to me in many ways.
http://apinchofpepper.blogspot.com/
Maybe I will have a clean house some day too...or at least one clean room.
Sounds like you are coming to find peace of mind in a sea of chaos. Congrats!! I always just set one very achievable goal and make sure I do it. For the past few years, that goal has been to make sure my bed is made and other than that, everything else is gravy. Usually once I make the bed I can find a second to do a few more things but if I don't at least I've done my duty for the day and don't stress too much.
Good luck with flylady!
I wish I had a picture to show you how our house looked in its days of chaos but I probably wouldn't have taken one when it was messy...who had the time to take pictures, anyway? I promise it looked a lot like yours, which isn't bad, in fact, ours was probably much worse at times. My philosophy of raising children and managing a home was simple--it's called "selective neglect."
I think that, like the other posters have said, it isn't as bad as you think it is. When you have all the moving parts in a family that you have right now..it just won't stay that way.
I have been checking out Flylady and I like her style. I also make it all better by having one clean room int he house each day. the one that I spend the most time in. My kitchen. At least when the monkeys are messing up the rest of the house, I can sit in my clean kitchen and still feel like something is clean. As for keeping it all that way all the time. Forget it!
I lived in home is the very best kind.
I love comfortable places, and friendly people.
Play with your kids, and love life.
There will always be time to clean later.
(I am not sure who I am trying to convince, you or me)
*HUGS*
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