Today I had more energy than I've had in a long time. Probably a result of doubling the anti-depressants (thank you anti-depressants). So I cleaned. I went crazy in the bedrooms, and now they look pretty dang good. As I was cleaning, I was thinking of a time when my visiting teachers came over. I love my visiting teachers SO much, and I know that they love me. On this particular day, I was feeling overwhelmed, so I didn't clean, at all. And when they came over I gestured to the house and said, "I didn't clean". And one of them said, "cleaning house while raising kids is like shoveling snow while it's snowing." I have heard this saying before, but I didn't really take it to heart for MY family, until it was said to me with love, by someone who understands. Then they went on to say, "if you're house was clean, I'd be worried about your kids". "When your house is dirty I can see that you've been doing puzzles, and dressing up, and reading books, it's proof that you are a good mom." It IS important to clean, obviously, you can't just drop everything all the time and play. But for some reason, hearing it from the ladies that I respect and love made it finally soak in. Shoveling snow while it's snowing is kind of like doing damage control, keeping the snow levels down, just in case you need to go somewhere. Cleaning while raising kids is just for sanitary control. If you clean enough so that you don't find bugs living in your stuff, you're good. (but really I AM cleaner than THAT, I'm just sayin, be kind to yourself.)
PS: I try to blog everyday (although my life clearly isn't very interesting). But lately John has been doing his homework after I go to bed, so if you come on a night that I haven't blogged, just be happy for me! I was getting attention from John.
I feel that way too. I think I clean for my own sanity. Doesn't matter to the kids, my husband doesn't really care much one way or the other, and a lot of the time I end up picking up the same messes 3 times a day, even if the kids help. Shoveling in a snow storm... preventative maintenance? Nope, just insanity.
ReplyDeleteHey Camilla, I really like your new blog. Man can I relate to it. I agree with Kelly, I clean because when my house is a mess (and with a small house it doesn't take much for it to look like a disaster zone) it bothers me much more than anyone else. I think it's because we are home SO much and I feel overwhelmed and depressed when it's a mess. But with young kids it really is impossible to maintain and we shouldn't feel bad when it gets the better of us.
ReplyDelete