I suppose my goal for my home is to be at a level of cleanliness that does not embarrass me if someone drops by. If my house goes past this level of clean, I start to feel a sense of foreboding and even dread. This happens quite often. During the school year, I do not have energy to devote to my ideal house cleaning routine. It is listed on one of the tabs above. It mocks me. It laughs at me. Maybe I should delete it. (hee, hee).
I know that this is a topic near and dear to most home educating mothers. Like I said, it took me a very long time to stop fighting the desire for perfection. I remember asking my husband once about his desires for our home. I have to love his simple, happy-go-lucky attitude. He said the only things that matter to him was for me to have dinner ready when he got home, to have the trash cans, dishes, and laundry under control. I'd have to say that is a pretty easy man to please. You better know that I try to keep these three things under control. I also know that he doesn't like the family room sectional to be in a mess. It happens a lot. The kids pile blankets on it while watching a movie. They drag their things in and they pile up, too. It is the first thing he sees when he comes home. I try to keep the kids accountable for this area, but sometimes we slip. Like right now.
Besides those things, daily I try to keep the bathrooms sanitary. I sweep up the entry way and wipe it down when I can see the sweeping did not do the job. Twice a week or so, I make sure the carpet in the living areas is swept. My oldest son does that job. The other two help me as requested. And they pick up their things. They are the two that seem to get out and leave around the most stuff. I just feel better when things are tidy. Sometimes I even dust! (ha, ha)
My standards of clean would not impress my dear, expert cleaner grandmother, but my husband seems happy, so everything else I do is just gravy! I suppose that is the whole point to this little essay. I like to make my husband happy. I really do. And I am blessed to have a husband who doesn't put heavy burdens of high expectations on me in this area. Thank you, Lord!
~Jenn
Looks to me like your're doin' a great job :-)!
ReplyDeleteWe've got some serious issues concerning house-cleaning here, seeing as it doesn't get done nearly enough.
Of course, being the manager of the household, it really is my job to teach/train the children to pick up after themselves and to pitch in where they can. But I haven't enforced these behaviors and so the house stays pretty "dirty" as I just can't do it all myself.
When I saw your title, I thought how interesting, I guess by default I am choosing a dirty home.
Jenn, thanks for being so real! I have learned that there is just NO way to keep our house "perfect" while homeschooling 4 crazy kids. We practice "fake clean"...as in we do a mad dash to tidy up the front three rooms of the house just before Daddy comes home, so he doesn't have to trip over junk on his way in from work ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is great that you husband is that laid back. Mine is too. His only thing is clutter, he just doesn't like to walk in on clutter. So we do the same thing, make sure books, blankets & such are all put away before dad comes home. But my kids are so accustomed to it by now, most of the time they do it themselves. After years of reminding them. I also find with a smaller house, we keep it way more picked up because you notice it more quickly when something is left laying around. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your focus is on making your husband happy. Truly that's where all our focus should be. :)
JoAnn
I love that you are real!!!!! And bless your dear husband. My husband is very similar in this area. I am blessed! But really for me its the clutter of stuff that is just driving me nuts. I have been chatting with the Lord lots about letting stuff go....Working on it!
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge difference between dirty and lived in and I would say your home is lovingly lived in.
When the kids were young ( and dad worked away from home) we did the 5 minute get the living room picked up sweep...I used a laundry basket and the kids tossed stuff in it and I tucked it away till the next morning. That still kinda applys...except now I put it on the stairs for the kids to gather up.
Yes you are doing a good job! You are putting time into your family and that is the MOST IMPORTANT thing ever. (((patting you on the back))) Keep it up and keep enjoying your family as I know you do. Make memories b/c you can and a house can't.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and ((HUGS))
In Him<><
-Mary
Just wanted to say how much I love the new font and look of your blog. Will add some more comments later about cleaning, it's now 9am and I need to start school and get organized for my day, probably pick "stuff" up off the floor as well!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Lee-Anne
Hi Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI love your post. Love, love, and more love. Too real, too mutual, too totally able to relate!
I have to say that I love your new font as much as I love your post! Would you mind telling me what font this is? Did you get it from a blogspot choice, or did you have to go hunt for it?
I'm still at HSB, although very lonely! All my friends are gone, and it often feels like a ghost town. I guess change is very hard for me! Rachel created a blog for me over at blogspot, (this is some months ago) but I just haven't made the jump to use it regularly yet.
My little laptop can't leave comments, so I haven't been visiting anyone....but I've borrowed Rachel's so I could come say hi!
Antoinette
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! You hit a nerve, I think, with us homeschooling moms. A clean house is a daily challenge, even with only three of us--piles everywhere by the end of the day. I've had to drop my standards, too; my motto re: company is, "Did you come to see me or my house." And this saddest of confessions...I love having company because the house gets cleaned!
So there you go, you're in good company. We can all have pristine homes when the kids get graduated. In the meantime, we're having fun, aren't we???
Antoinette, the font is one from the advanced tab on design. It is called,"Coming Soon." There are so many choices.
ReplyDeleteWendy, I am the same way. Company gets me cleaning, too. And I am not sure if my house will be pristine when they graduate. I hope to have grandkids messing it up one day!
Oh, Jenn, you and me both!!! I am forever walking that fine line of how clean is clean enough? I must say that cleaning comes behind most everything else, only to be addressed when I absolutely MUST, but even I have standards, lol, just like your DH. For me and mine, it's the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry. Anything else is gravy, but even the laundry is subject to that blind eye, rofl.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you're getting your perfectionistic tendencies under control - I used to be that way too, believe it or not. And I don't look at it as choosing a dirty home - I look at it as choosing people over perfection. Besides, too clean of an environment would leave them susceptible to germs in the outside world. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Oh Jenn, I think you are doing a great job! I gave up the perfect house about 14 years ago...when I had my first toddler. I'm working hard now to keep the house semi-tidy since the last big cleaning a week ago. I always just imagine the dreaded social worker knocking at the door, and even though they would not be permitted in, it's a good imaginary motivation. I think all those areas you mentioned are the key areas here too. If I can keep main floor presentable & the bathrooms clean & fresh, I'm happy. Now just empty that ironing basket...hmm.
ReplyDeleteJenn, this post is such a blessing to me. I've been down in the dumps not feeling like I'm doing "enough", whatever that is, right?! Dh is pretty laid back, too. We are so blessed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the book arrived! Thanks so much. I'll be sure to pass it on to someone else who will like it.
Blessings!
Sharity
ps love the font...I'm going to look now...I think you've started something! :-)
I never considered that I was choosing to have a messy house (because it's a scary mess right now). But I suppose you are right. And I gotta fix that. I'm with you on "good enough" though. Not everyone has the same standards. I would never give up all the people and the lifestyle that leads to our "lived in" look.
ReplyDelete