I like a clean house.
There is something relaxing about sitting down after my toddler tornado has gone to bed and seeing everything in its place.
Many of you are going to roll your eyes at me and dismiss me as a crazy woman, but I don’t care. Memes like the ones below aren’t hard to find and seem to be the popular opinion. While they are 100 per cent true and I laugh at how true each one really is, I also know keeping a somewhat tidy home is a possibility for me as well.
Having a toddler tornado is messy but if you can ignore the mess until he’s sleeping, a toddler tornado can also be a ton of fun. In the photos below I had just finished my daily workout and my tornado had gotten into a variety of things while I was kicking my butt and working up a sweat. The first photo was markers, that ended up on my face and shoes and the second photo was play-dough, small bits of it I am still finding around the house.
What’s fun about these situations is watching my little tornado discover things and be creative through mess. I have learned that creativity and learning isn’t something you can box up and keep all neat and tidy, which means messes happen.
But messes can also be tidied, opening the door to more options for creative play. I have noticed that when the tornado’s toys have been put away and organized he has an easier time choosing something new than when they are strewn all over the house. Maybe it’s just because he’s looking forward to making a huge mess again, but I like to think it’s because he’s been given a clean slate.
So for most of the day my house does look like a tornado hit it. In addition to the toys and lately, blankets, all over the house, the dishes are rarely done until after supper and my bathroom is not cleaned as frequently as it probably should be (Don’t worry guests, it’s always cleaned right before you come!).
But after my toddler tornado goes to bed and my chubby infant (16 lbs at 2 months – chubby may be an understaitment) is happy enough to be put down, I start tidying. Sometimes it’s overwhelming because the tornado has hit every room in the house but once I get started in never takes more than 20 minutes to tidy things and put things back in their places.
I will not feel guilty for liking a clean home. There’s already so much moms start feeling guilty about and this will not be one of those things for me. So if you, like me, enjoy the serenity of a tidy home – go ahead, take some time to make cleaning a priority. Do what makes you feel sane. For me, it’s toys in their baskets and a hot coffee in my hand.
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