The Joy of Having A Toddler...

 

There are many things I love about my toddler.  She is sweet, smart, fun, and just a general joy to be around.  That being said, there is one way in which she drives me absolutely bat sh*t crazy. 

When I am working feverishly to clean the house, she is working just as feverishly to unclean the house.  I try and get her involved, to get her to "help" me.  This is almost as bad as just letting her go buck wild in the background. 

What I do now is get her interested in a couple different activities in one central location.  Then, I hurry to get as much done as I can in that area without distracting her attention from whatever has her captivated.  Once she loses that desire to stay where she is playing nicely, my time is up and it is time to wrap it up, immediately.

Some people just say screw it, and let it all hang out until the kid goes to bed and then they do the 15 minute round up and shove everything in its place as quickly as they can.  Others, like me, go through the daily grind of trying to maintain a level of "company ready" at all times.  There is no wrong or right method, just a matter of what you are comfortable doing.

I have been in people's homes that looked like a tornado went through.  When I walked in they politely said, "You will have to excuse the mess, I just wait until bedtime and we clean it all up then."  No big, I mean as long as it is not my house, I do not get hung up on that.  Now, I have also been to a couple homes in which there was food lingering under the table from breakfast, which was hours since over.  I have seen a few milk ring stained tables, and a stray sippy cup or two.  I know for a fact that the moms in those households were very overwhelmed, because they told me so.  Thankfully it was soon after our visit that they were able to get a helping hand in there to get them back to the level that they were comfortable. 

It is important to be okay in your own home, whether you have kids or not.  I have a 19 month old who is a busy little bee, and who is very clingy to mommy.  So things are not as clean as I would like, but I have to say I feel like I do a pretty good job.  At any moment someone could come into my home and I would feel fine welcoming them in and feel relaxed sitting down with them for a visit.  I would not feel like I had to explain away a mess, or be shoving things in the closet before I opened the front door.

I think the key to this is keeping as minimal amount of items out and about as possible.  The more knick knacks the more dust, the more clutter, the more ojeda (pronounced ah-je-da).  You know it, you have had it at some point if you are a parent. I think there can be a balance kept that does not keep parent away from child too much, but still allows the house to be kept tidy and in order.  I also love organizational aids, but be careful because too many of these are just more clutter.

We also have areas that are toy friendly and areas that are not.  My 19 month old also knows that before we leave her area, which is the living room, she must put her toys back in her toy box.  She does it religiously now.  It just took some practice and patience, and lots of clapping.  But she knows that it is part of the routine.  If she is ready for bath or bed, she will start cleaning up, and you can hear her saying, "Mess, clean up mess. Okay, yes, clean mess."  It's really kind of cute, although I wonder if she will eventually be OCD and washing her hands 12 times before touching her toys at some point.  But hey, she knows to throw them in the box before we leave the room.  It is not that hard of an expectation to meet eh?

So whatever the state of your abode, just strive to meet your own standards, not those of any imposed on you by some societal unrealistic standard.  Care about your home the way you care about yourself and your family, as best you can with the "help" of kids.