Saw this on a friends facebook feed the other day.
“A real woman always keeps her house clean and organized. She’s always well-dressed and hair done. She behaves gracefully in all situations and circumstances. And no matter what, she never swears. She has more than enough patience to take care of her family, always has a smile on her lips, and a kind word for everyone.”
Initial reaction, “yep, something to aspire to”… 2 seconds later “who has time to keep a house always clean?”… 4 seconds later “this is totally unrealistic”… 6 seconds later “they forgot cook gourmet dinners, keep the kids clean and well dressed and polite, …”
So, what is it that makes me think I can do it all? I somehow expect that I should be able to keep my house perfectly clean, look great every day, always know how to react/respond in every situation, run a small business, and chase 3 little kids all day. And, when I reach the end of my day, I’m frustrated because I didn’t finish the laundry, there’s a few dirty cups on the counter, and why oh why can I not get my shower before 10 pm!
Pride, probably, I think I can do it all on my own. Unrealistic expectations, definitely, there’s not enough hours in a day for this!
First of all, I’m not saying that I shouldn’t try to clean the house, look good, or maintain a good attitude. But to expect all of this every day is just not realistic. I have to leave time for the kid’s art messes (yes, folks, painting all the baby dolls faces with poster paints is a mess! To their credit, they did later get out the hose and give their baby’s baths, thus, eliminating the need for me to do any cleaning)…, time to spend with the kids, time to teach them to enjoy cooking (I love cooking, so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen doing creative things with food, sometimes successful, sometimes not.), and many other memory making opportunities.
The truth is, if I get the laundry done, I don’t have time for the kitchen; if I make a big dinner, I don’t have time to clean bathrooms; if the baby’s cranky, I don’t have time to take a shower; if we do an art project, my house looks like a tornado of glue, glitter, and paint swept through; if the kids help in the kitchen, it was an icing and chocolate tornado this time; if I’m making memories, we’re making a mess.
So, what’s more important, my perfectly clean house, well kept appearance, perfect kids, and a pretend great attitude, (I still think if i try really hard I can get this) or happy kids, sticky projects, honesty, and the classic jeans & t-shirt with a ponytail look (it is a classic look, very fashionable,…).