So, did you hear about the man who blamed his wife for their messy house? Spoiler alert: He admits he was wrong. He used to look around his house and judge his stay-at-home wife until he became a stay-at-home dad. Then he learned: Kids are destroyers. Not only that, taking care of a home (including the people who live in it) is a collection of "a million full-time jobs." This includes "housekeeper, disciplinarian, teacher, nurse …" Oh blah blah blah, you know the list. We've all lived it. Congratulations, stay-at-home-dad, for observing the obvious!
As with everything else in life, you have to prioritize. Some things are more important than cleaning your house. Actually, a lot of things are more important than cleaning. And anyway, aren't we all kind of suspicious of super-clean homes?
You know the ones I'm talking about: Everything in its place, not a speck of dust anywhere. The adults who live there usually have stiff, frozen smiles, and their children tiptoe and seem afraid of their own shadows.
Actually, I was raised in a super clean, super tidy house. And it requires a conscious act of will not to have an equally clean home. I only have one child, but I also have a full-time job and only so many hours in a day. How do I want to spend what little spare time I have? Dusting? Really?!?
Don't get me wrong. I clean just enough so my home doesn't give me the creepy-crawlies. Having a reasonably tidy, well-organized house makes me feel more relaxed. But that's just me — no one else seems to care. Seriously, my son has told me he prefers a slightly messy environment. As for husbands, well, if they don't like the mess they can pick up, too.
The thing about housekeeping is, your rug will never hug you back for vacuuming it. Your toilet isn't going to thank you for making it sparkle. The kitchen will not smile at you for wiping away those crumbs. Cleaning is a thankless job no one notices unless you neglect it. So screw it.
Do you feel judged for your messy house? Come on over to the circle of Moms With Better Things to Do. We're a merry bunch. And we don't judge.
Do you ever feel defensive about the mess in your house? Or — you're not one of those judgy moms with a super clean house, are you?
Image © iStock/AnikaSalsera
