I love my kids more than I love a clean house

Joanna Fowler October 17, 2017 Blog, Family, Parenting, Home, Organization

Sometimes I will sit and reflect on me, pre-kids, just after Mike and I got married and we moved into our first home and just laugh at myself. I was so obsessive and anal about cleaning that I would barely even sit down to watch a show in the evening with my new husband. I was always “SOOO BUSY.” Ha!

I didn’t even know busy.

A lot has changed since then, (four kids, careers and a move later), and I have been through a lot, especially after adding each child to our family. My expectations have definitely been adjusted, and although my house is rarely spotless, I feel like I am doing a pretty good job.

Exhibit A – Photos I just took of my home in it’s current state

Messy living room

Messy family room

Messy kitchen

Messy bedroom

I’ve started to get in the habit of listening to a chatty YouTube video when driving in my car kids-free, and one this morning, on my way home from Walmart had me nodding my head in agreement constantly.

It was a video of Anna Saccone answering some questions from viewers. As a mom of three, she had some great insight into motherhood. Here are my favourite takeaways…

She talked about how she hasn’t felt depression sink in with her second, or third kids because she doesn’t have as much time to sit and over-think.

I couldn’t agree with this more. When people ask me about having four kids, my answer is, with one kid it’s hard and you overthink all the time. Plus if there is a lull in time you think you should be singing a song, be making homemade baby food, or reading a book. When you aren’t doing those things you feel guilty for putting your feet up.

When you have more than one kid, you are busy, in fact you feel like you are on a hamster wheel, but it isn’t nearly as hard and you don’t over analyze every decision.

I can’t tell you how many times I say to myself, when moving from one child’s crisis to the next child, “well kid, you’re going to be okay because you have to be okay, there are other people waiting in line.” I swear my kids as a litter of puppies are way happier than when my son was an only child.

Anna also talked about trying to keep her house clean and everything in it’s place. She said she’s let go a bit because let’s face it, she has three kids and six dogs. You could drive yourself crazy trying to keep your house spotless with that much chaos.

So, when the mess starts to really bug her, she reminds herself that she loves her kids more than a clean house.

So simple, yet such great advice!

Watch her video for these, plus more great bits of insight into motherhood…

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One thought on “I love my kids more than I love a clean house”

  1. I had to laugh as I read this! I am just recently a mom of one. I thought I had lots to do right after we were married, what with cleaning, cooking, and all the other endless tasks that come along with running a home. Then came my daughter, and boy did things change! I keep looking back to the days before she was born and think, wow! I used to have so much time!
    I’ve been learning valuable lessons in prioritizing, planning, and identifying the essentials. Every evening I take a few minutes to jot down what I absolutely have to do tomorrow, and what things I would like to do.
    Someone told me that my kids aren’t going to remember growing up in a house that was perfectly neat, clean and organized all the time. What they will remember are the memories you make with them. That really struck me.
    Anytime I start to feel overwhelmed by my to-do list, and frustrated that I am needed nearly constantly, I try to remember that. Take a breath, and just love my baby. <3

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