The women that somehow figure out how to raise their children, go to the gym, make other appointments and go to them, cook every meal, have the whole house cleaned and smelling fresh, spend two minutes with their significant other and are pleasant all the while, and then call it a day.
I'm here to tell you; put down the mop, put down the vacuum, put down the sponge and put your feet up!
When I had my first child I was determined to always have a perfectly cleaned place, always be caught up with dishes and laundry and never have a crumb on the floor (children bring out a crazy, obsessive, paranoid side of you, you didn't even know you had). I got really good at it and perhaps, was trying to prove something to myself. One kid is a lot easier to pick up after than two. Now that I have two kids, I've ran myself ragged trying to keep up with everything. Since 2014 kicked off though, I've made a conscious effort to let it go. Let those two, rinsed dinner dishes stay in the sink until morning, let the laundry hamper get a little more full than usual, and let a few kids toys linger in the living space after they're in bed.
Now I'm not saying to let your house turn into a pig pen (although, I think we all deserve a few of those days). Just don't be so caught up in trying to look like your family life is out of a magazine. It's OK to have a messy house and it's OK to feel like it's more important to have a little 'me time' than finish cleaning the kitchen.
There's a little weight off my shoulder since I've made a conscious effort to relax about the house looking picture perfect. During the day, I thoroughly enjoy what my kids are doing and 'messing up,' instead of thinking, "Man, I'm going to have to clean that!" And at night I actually get to see my fiance and catch up with reading or TV shows.
So here is my little snippet of advice for you. Once your kids are in bed, give yourself 30 minutes to pick up. Only 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, you have to stop! (This could also work if you are the opposite type of person that never picks up, now you can start, by just doing 30 minutes a night!) After those 30 minutes; the rest of the night is for you. Also dispersing chores throughout the week with some kind of schedule makes things flow a lot easier. I know I'm doing laundry every Saturday night and vacuuming every Wednesday. Works great!
Here are 10 things you can enjoy instead of cleaning into the wee hours of the night and doing it all over again the next day;
-watch that show you've had on the DVR for weeks now.
-call that old friend you've been meaning to catch up with
-go back to that book you've had bookmarked on the same page for months.
-go to bed early.
-make some dessert for yourself.
-cuddle with your lover-face.
-go to Target (I love roaming around Target--I'm not the only one am I?)
-paint your nails.
-have an adult conversation with your significant other.
-talk about your kids even more, because that's what we parents do; talk about the kids that have only been in bed a few minutes, because we miss them already. What is with that!
Seriously, though, your husband knows you're capable of doing everything and you know you're capable of doing everything, so just stop doing it. You don't have to prove anything to any one. Enhance your life and put the cleaning supplies down! Spend quality time with your other half, in the middle of the living room filled with kids toys and crayon on the wall. When the kids are grown and gone and you're relaxing in a squeaky, clean, organized house every single night, you'll miss the chaos and clutter. Enjoy it today.
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