One day, I got tired of seeing all of the perfectly clean houses on Instagram without a single toy in sight. My house never looks like that. Well, when we’re expecting company it looks like that for approximately five minutes and then my kids get the toys back out and start scattering crumbs.
So I shared photos of our bed covered in laundry I was supposed to be folding and the sink full of dirty dishes needing washed hoping that I wasn’t alone in the never-ending cycle of mess. Guess what? I got so many messages from other moms thanking me and telling me it was nice to see that they weren’t alone.
Moms with a messy house, you are not alone! I am right there with you.
Let’s start with the dishes. Oh the dishes! Why are there so many and why does my sink always seem to be full? Oh that’s right, I’m feeding multiple hungry little mouths along with my own all day, and my kids need to use approximately 3 cups, 2 bowls, and 4 spoons at every meal. And why do I own so much dishware that isn’t dishwasher safe? Some days I wish I didn’t enjoy cooking as much as I do.
Now the floors. I dream of owning one of those robot vacuum cleaners but some days, I don’t think it could keep up with the rate that my kids seem to spill things and make messes. And let’s be real, there are probably way too many toys on the floor to even think about using one of those anyways. Do they have one that puts toys away, too? I could use one of those. I used to think it didn’t matter if I swept constantly and then the ants came. Once the kids are asleep, we pull out the trusty, old-fashioned broom and do our nightly serenade to sweep away the crumbs for the third time that day.
Then there’s the laundry. I’m actually really good at staying on top of laundry. Like the washing it and drying it part. I can do that. Heck, sometimes I even fold it. It’s putting the clothes into closets and drawers that never seems to happen. We literally lived out of laundry baskets for months because they just never got put away. Sure our clothes were more wrinkled and it was really annoying trying to find what you were looking for but guess what, we survived.
It’s not like I don’t try to stay on top of it. I do. Most days I endlessly clean only to feel like I have gotten no where. But just because our houses aren’t tidy doesn’t mean we aren’t still great moms. If I kept a spotless house, I would probably be pretty miserable. It’s just not a top priority for me like it is for others. I have a business to run, meals to make, and so many other things I would rather do than clean.
