The truth is (and I just figured this out), the way my house looks is the main trigger for my mood swings. Whenever my house is messy and/or dirty I seriously go crazy. You're probably thinking, "Well, why don't you just clean it then?" - But as a matter of fact, I have just finished cleaning. And it is getting messy fast. So fast I can't catch up. Whenever I am cleaning one part of the house (like the kitchen for example) another part is getting messy.
Gone are the days where I used to clean the whole house. Nowadays I always have to choose a day to clean one thing (like wash the balcony for example) and then just pick up the messes around the house. How am I supposed to vacuum, dust, sweep, mop, iron, and everything else while I have so many other things I should do when the kids are napping?
There is also the pollution issue here which makes everything worse. The house gets dirty so fast and it is so much harder to clean than the houses in the United States (or at least where I used to live in the U.S). Clothes here don't come out of the dryer all neat and straight, most of the time you have to iron them. And I am blessed enough to have a dryer because most people here don't have one. Most people here don't even have a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. I'm also fortunate to have both (although the garbage disposal has never worked so it doesn't count).
I just wish I would clean and the house would stay clean at least for a couple hours. Is that too much to ask? Probably. When you have kids it is. I guess the solution to this problem is just to take a chill pill and accept the fact that I will never live in a 100% - spotless clean house, ever! Lately I've been trying not to stress so much about it. Just laugh it out. But sometimes it gets a little bit tricky.
I have a gazillion tupperware containers. Maybe I should just get rid of them!I also don't have any more high enough spaces to hide things. Why didn't home builders ever think of this and put cabinets close to the ceilings all over the house? We have high enough shelves but they're meant to display decorations and picture frames and not remote controls, crayons and computer cords. For those of you that are wondering, we do have childproof locks on a few things but some don't work with our cabinets and drawers.
Anyway, I would just like to know if I'm the only one that gets a little bit stressed with a messy house. How do all of you deal with this? I would love to hear what you have to say!
ps: Don't say the solution is not to have kids because that isn't the point. I love my chipmunks ;)
14 comments:
Aline, I think all the moms have those problems...
I also can never see my house totally clean. There's always something out of place and I also have to choose some thing for clean that day.
I am grateful because I have a maid again and she help me with the heavy work...
I suggest that look out these locks for the cabinets: http://www.walmart.com.br/Produto/Bebes/Outros/Safety-1st/37778-Travas-para-Armario-e-Gaveta-7-pecas---Safety-1-st.aspx
Is the same that I bought for my home and I think they are more practical than you have, and they are also more versatile as they provide for more types of cabinets.
Yes, I feel the same way! I never thought of pollution being a problem and to have to iron would throw me off; I feel for you there! One thing I have come to do is to just get out of the house if it's stressing me out. Sometimes looking at it is just too much to handle for me so I just figure I'll deal with it later when I am not so stressed and I load the kids up and go somewhere, anywhere, even just to a park or to a friend's house. Then when I get back I am more able to deal with the mess. I think the hard part, like you said, is that it wont stay clean, and as soon as you clean one room there is another mess in another room. Of coarse there will be a time when we miss the kids and maybe even the messes. I'd love to hear a grandma's point of view on this subject; they seem to have everything all figured out.
I also get kinda moody of the house is messy, I just can't stand it.
I let Thomas play with only one or a couple of toys/things at a time. But I know that having just one child it is easier. Working as an apartment manager can be stressing too, specially because my office is in my living room, so that part of the house always needs to be clean. I have been having a problem with my bedroom though, because that is were I hide everything from Thomas and everybody else. :) But last night a made a goal that I'll try my best to keep it organized.
And yes, it is easy to clean the house here(USA).
If I lived by you I would offer my help, I'm sorry.
But I am sure you are doing great. And having a house clean is more important than have it organized. I mind more the smell of grease and dirty laundry than toys all over the place and lots of tupperware on the kitchen floor.
Menina, as criancas sao tao espertas q eu acho q elas iam figure it out se colocar child lock..hahaha, dont you think???
anyways, I think having 2 kids that are very active, get things worse. I can imagine Rachel and a brother/sister messing around the house. Oh boy!!!
I do get very upset when I get home from school and Brandon and Rachel are watching TV or doing something else and the house is a freaking mess. I ask Brandon: what did you do???
hahahahahahha
Seriously! When I am home I try to just keep picking up things aroudn so I dont have this huge pile of toys out of their boxes all at once.
I have a hard time throwing away things we dont need anymore...but I try to put them somewhere I can see and use more often or just put where I will save for when I use. For instance, your containers. I have a lot too...In fact, a little while ago I gave some away because I didnt want more than I already had and bought coordinate ones and that's all. I try not to buy any other else and that's it!
Thank goodness we have enough storage space here that I can just put things away there..hehehehe
Also, I teach Rachel that she NEEDS to clean up afterward. It was very hard in the beggining and it is still hard sometimes..but she is learning.. That helps me a lot. Even though she wont put things very organized in place, at least they are not all spread around. :)
Mara, esse site é daqui do Brasil?
Beka, I always make Jasmine clean up afterward but it takes so long and most of the time she won't even do it unless I get mad at her. Like with the tupperware, she was the one who put it all in the sink for me (I had to wash it all since it was all on the floor) and I stood right beside her the whole time telling her to pick it up and put it in the sink.
Yes! This site is of the Wall Mart Brazil.
I consulted the site of Wall Mart and it seems that they do have not the product now. Check on the "Alô Bebê" or "Americanas.com"
I put the link only for you check what are the locks.
Not a mommy but I like the organization and health and beauty articles, thanks ladies =)
My mood also follows the "state" my house is in!I try to do all the heavier cleaning on fridays,and that makes me enjoy the weekend better, but sometimes,and lately that has happened a lot, it just doesn't happen..then it lingers,and like you said,while you're cleaning one part of the house, you can hear the kids messing up the rest. It drives me crazy! Trust me,you're not alone!
Aline, eh, com a Rachel tambem eh assim...eu tenho q ficar do lado dela ate ela catar tudo e muitas vezes ela soh cata depois q eu ja to fervendo de nervoso..hhahhaa
Oh vida dificil!!!
nossa e eu odeio passar roupa.. Faz tempoq eu nao faco isso!!! hehehe
Basically... if the house ain't clean, momma ain't happy!!!
I HATE it when the house is crazy... but the bigger I get, the harder it has been for me to keep up with the cleaning and organization. I remember the days when I could just take an hour or two and have the house organized and presentable... and when cleaning everything only took a couple hours as well.
Lately, if I can get a load of laundry done and clean up the kitchen, I'm happy!
I just try to stay sane and tell myself that I am doing my best. I've basically given up picking up the toys all the time. I don't have the energy, the back or the time to put toys away, 3-4 times a day. I've put away more than half of Thomas toys, and now I just focus on CLEAN house.
I really can't do it all... and I just have to keep reminding myself of it. Because if I do try to do it all, I go crazy (and by the end of the day, I'm in so much pain that I can barely walk... hehehe)
Girls, I believe we wouldn´t get so stressed if half of our expectations did not come from society. Ok, I know this sounded like I´m trying to blame someone else, but here´s what I mean: We want our homes to be as clean and spotless as the one on the magazine, or "why can´t my house be as organized and perfect as my friend´s?" Truth is: most people clean their house before someone comes to visit so, to us, it ALWAYS looks spotless!
Please do me a favor... think about what you remember from your home as a child. Do you remember how messy it was? No, because it was always somewhat organized and usually clean (notice that you will remember some messyness). Am I making sense?
I always worry if my house feels like a home and if we are comfortable there. I know it will always not be perfect and not spotless clean, but it IS always clean and oganized. What I´m trying to say is that if our children like our home and feel at home, and we are constantly fixing and cleaning it, that´s really all that matters.
Our home may be clean and (samewhat/sometimes) organized, but it will NEVER be spotless because we live there, so we have to deal with it! This means we have to take stuff out of drawers, use the shower (and toilet), we gotta eat, and kids HAVE to get dirty every once in a while... and the list goes on...
Inspiring words Bianca, thanks!
Very true Bianca!
Post a Comment