Growing up, I lived in a tidy house. My sisters and I were expected to clean up our own dishes, make our bed every morning, and not use the corner of our room as a trash can. The general consensus was if you live here, you clean up your own stuff.
I don't know if growing up this way is why I prefer to have my house in an orderly fashion most of the time, or if it's just my Type-A personality. Either way, I need to have a clean house, and my kids know this. I've tried to not make it such a big deal in my life, only to fail every single time. So does it make my life harder? Hell yes! Let me count the ways:
1. Kids are messy
3. I'm afraid I'm going to miss the mess one day
When they're grown and gone, I'm afraid I'm going to miss seeing their toys strewn about, and I might even miss tripping over their shoes. But then I find dirty laundry under their bed, and get so frustrated, I feel like my head might pop off.
4. I would have more free time
My expectations for what I consider clean are probably too high. I spend enough time cleaning to know it cuts into time I could be spending with my kids, reading, or getting some work done, but I just feel better when these things are checked off my list and can focus better. So what's a neat freak to do?
5. I’m just as embarrassed about my clean house as others are about their messy house
I have mom friends that come over and say things like "Your house is so clean, my house is a wreck, how do you do it?" I always feel the need to explain myself to them because I never want them feeling bad or less-than just because I have a clean house. It's important to me, to a fault, and I'm so aware of it.
6. My kids feel I expect them to be perfect
Which I certainly don't. I just don't think there is a problem with teaching them how to value things, even if they are material possessions. I also don't want to feel like I'm the maid, nor do I want to nag them all the time, but that ends up happening because they're kids and I haven't found the right balance yet.
7. If I try to let things go, I just end up rage cleaning
I have really, really tried to be a more laid-back mom, and just let things happen as they will. I'm able to do it for a few days and feel all right about it, then one day I walk down the stairs, see a few candy wrappers floating by and blankets all over the floor, and I break out into a full blown rage-clean. This is not good for anyone within a one-mile radius.
8. It is exhausting
Constantly cleaning, noticing all the dirt and clutter all the time, and feeling like if I don't do something about it nobody will, is so tiring. If I'm being honest, it's exhausting to expend so much energy even caring about it.
