Pinterest can be to parenting as fashion magazines are to body image. Motherhood isn’t idyllic. It’s raw, tiring, and very messy. Let’s talk real households of the Seacoast. The kind where the playrooms are apocalyptic and sometimes tired moms (and dads) go to bed with dishes in the sink. Why? Because kid mess is universal, and you are not alone.
A fellow mom recently admitted that she is wary of having friends over. She worries her home contains too much clutter. I have felt that way, too. The reality is that all homes with children have clutter. Heck, mine actually had bum (as is hind-end) prints on the French doors this past weekend. Now, let’s set the record straight, we all struggle with kid mess.
So many times I have thought that if “cleanliness is near godliness,” then my playroom is undoubtedly a portal to hell.
Lots of parents echo this sentiment.
“My playroom is the never ending mess,” admits a fabulous mother of three I see each day at preschool drop-off. While she reports that she no longer organizes it daily, she instead does one “deep organization” of her playroom on Sundays. “I find broken things, rotten sippy cups, and more single socks than I can comprehend. I used to stress about it. Then I “Let it Go.”
She let it go. She also sang that part in her best Elsa voice, which I thought was a nice touch.
Understanding my need for organization, my dashing husband Channing Tatum (well, actually his name is Gary) made me an awesome kid clutter organizer. You can see it (before it was ravaged by five children) in a previous Seacoast Moms Blog post. Subsequently, we can enjoy a good chuckle. This is how it looked today:
A mom from York Harbor, Maine explains:
“Controlled chaos reigns around here. Two boys, two careers, and two hour-long commutes in opposite directions will do that I suppose.”
Life is relentlessly busy for every parent. Never apologize for your home. When your children become adults they will remember that you read them bedtime stories and encouraged activities. Moreover, they will not look back so fondly at the immaculate carpet.
A vibrant Seacoast mom shared the above photo. She’s an active, stay-at-home mother who clearly immerses herself in her parenting. The children are “ripping craft paper into pieces and throwing them in the air like leaves,” she explains. “We had been having a seven-hour play date.” In other words, they are making a fabulous mess.
Real households of the Seacoast, or anywhere, experience growth, comfort, and love. They include memories and worn tables meant to be surrounded by family and friends. They have clutter and crumbs on the floor. Real households are not idyllic, because kid mess is universal.
