Yes I am a bit of a clean freak, but..............

[hj1981]

So i like a clean house, but i have had 2 comments from 2 totally different people in the last week saying " you would never guess kids live here, your house is immaculate, how do you do it?" and " i thought i had the wrong house, it dosen't look like a house that kids live in, it looks like a show home"

I definatly would not say it looks like a show home, and I am sure those of you that have been here would agree

Is that bad????

I had to say to DH the other night that im not sure if they are compliments or not? are our girls missing out on something? should i let the house get messy?

Not in anyway do my girls miss out on having fun and making a mess! We are always doing arts and crafts, making cubby houses, playing outside, baking and heaps of other fun stuff. Everyday we are doing something different or messy. I have heaps of pictures, artworks and stained clothes to prove it.

But after we play we clean up! and DH dosen't like kids toys out in the lounge room. He likes to have a space where it is kinda kid toy free to relax in if that makes sense? all toys are kept in their rooms but of course come out and are played with but they go away when not being played with.

Is anyone else like this?

[Charlotte91]

I used get comments like that up until DD was about 10 months.... then I fell in a hole.

I'm hoping to be better.
Honestly, toys and clothes and stuff annoy me.
I'd kill to live in a show home.

[hj1981]

I'm going to find a hole to fall into then also

But my home is far from a show home............. wait until it's time to sell though hahahahahaha

[Teeki]

Lol at the hole I fell in one when I went back to work. Before then I found it easy to clean up as I went, so the house didn't really get heaps messy. DD never missed out on anything, I just cleared up mess as we made it

Sent from my GT-P7510

[*Ang*]

My SIL is a bit obsessive compulsive re her house and the mess the children make. She goes to a really really bad extreme.

Me - well I don't like a dirty messy house either and I get the sort of comments you do. My children still have a ball and play and do all sorts of fun things but I just make sure that we clean up and mainly "organise" ourselves, I don't see that as a bad thing

Trust me DS was a nightmare as a baby/toddler and his lack of sleep was torture, BUT I still didn't use that as an excuse to have an unkempt house. I actually don't understand how some people can't manage to keep a "reasonably" clean house....I couldn't live that way. Call me harsh but I honestly see it as a form of laziness.

Like I said my children still have fun but we/I manage to still maintain the house.

Keep doing what your doing and be proud!

[Rouge]

I envy you. Like GREEN with envy. My domesticated ways took a dive when DS was born. I look back at photos when it was just DD and cry because everything is perfect. And now it is not.

My sister wife's house is immaculate. She is the way I was, if not better. I idolise her. She is also the BEST mother in the world. Her kids are loved, she plays with them, they have water fights and go camping and do the best stuff.

Mess does not equal a good childhood. I don't care what anyone says.

I need my a$$ kicked!

[Astrolady]

I like a tidy house, but it never lasts long here. If I kept on top of it I would do nothing else all day. Doesn't help that Andrew is as bad as the kids. I still have broken computer parts on the floor by the back door waiting to be moved into the shed. Been there for weeks. The shed I do not enter into for fear of my life lol.

[fionas]

Well, to answer your question they could be compliments or they could be snide asides.

But it sounds like you're a great mum whose kids have fun so who cares if the compliment was a bit backhanded?

Personally, I think the tidiness/cleanliness of a house depends on a lot of things. Storage for one. How much you're home is another. How much mess your partner, not just your children, makes is another plus how much they're willing to pitch in.

I sold my house a couple of years ago and boy did I love living in a show home when we had to have it perfect for open for inspections. I know what it takes to get it that way and quite frankly, I can't keep up. I've promised myself that if and when DP gets a 9-5 job and is here in the evenings then everything will be much tidier because one person can tidy while the other gives the girls a bath.

[OceanPrincess]

My SIL is a bit obsessive compulsive re her house and the mess the children make. She goes to a really really bad extreme.

Me - well I don't like a dirty messy house either and I get the sort of comments you do. My children still have a ball and play and do all sorts of fun things but I just make sure that we clean up and mainly "organise" ourselves, I don't see that as a bad thing

Trust me DS was a nightmare as a baby/toddler and his lack of sleep was torture, BUT I still didn't use that as an excuse to have an unkempt house. I actually don't understand how some people can't manage to keep a "reasonably" clean house....I couldn't live that way. Call me harsh but I honestly see it as a form of laziness.

Like I said my children still have fun but we/I manage to still maintain the house.

Keep doing what your doing and be proud!

Yep ok calling you harsh!

I was pretty good... Then like Kaytee I went back to work. So I guess I'll use that as an excuse to not vacuum every second day!

But my kids always have clean clothes to wear, good food to eat, clean dishes to eat off, a clean bath to bathe in and... Yeah that's as much as I can manage some days. It'll do for now.

[misty]

I know, if it were me saying it, it would be pure unadulterated envy! I am a messy hoarder at the best of times, at the worst.....well, lets just say I could be on that TV show Hoarder's then.

Nothing wrong with a clean house, if you can manage it! I wish I could.

[littlelara]

Lol I don't think anyone is ever going to accuse me of that, and still I find that laziness comment offensive.
There is a saying that cleaning house with a small child in tow is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing and that feels like my life for now

[Tanya]

My house is the opposite... Always has stuff everywhere, washing to be done, dishes to be washed. I have no idea how anyone keeps their house clean, I have tried but just can't do it.

[PumpkinZulu]

My SIL is a bit obsessive compulsive re her house and the mess the children make. She goes to a really really bad extreme.

Me - well I don't like a dirty messy house either and I get the sort of comments you do. My children still have a ball and play and do all sorts of fun things but I just make sure that we clean up and mainly "organise" ourselves, I don't see that as a bad thing

Trust me DS was a nightmare as a baby/toddler and his lack of sleep was torture, BUT I still didn't use that as an excuse to have an unkempt house. I actually don't understand how some people can't manage to keep a "reasonably" clean house....I couldn't live that way. Call me harsh but I honestly see it as a form of laziness.

Like I said my children still have fun but we/I manage to still maintain the house.

Keep doing what your doing and be proud!

I guess not everyone can be as fabulous as you, I certainly can't

[Eenee]

I like a tidy house, but it never lasts long here. If I kept on top of it I would do nothing else all day. Doesn't help that Andrew is as bad as the kids. I still have broken computer parts on the floor by the back door waiting to be moved into the shed. Been there for weeks. The shed I do not enter into for fear of my life lol.

Yes I have a husband who is messier than DD, DD's mess is easy to clean up but DH's stuff is everywhere. I put it outside the back door sometimes because I get over his mess. Since moving in with DH the house is not as clean as I like it. It's not dirty clean though just more clutter, but not real bad because I try to keep on top of it which is a full time job. His office that is also where my sewing table is though I almost die when going in their! Papers everywhere!

[buffy1]

I'm an untidy hoarder - it's my natural habitat. Ten times worse since DD arrived. Luckily I have a very tidy DH who can't relax unless the house is clean, and actually enjoys housework. What the.

I applaud those who do it themselves!

[Nai]

Well, to answer your question they could be compliments or they could be snide asides.

But it sounds like you're a great mum whose kids have fun so who cares if the compliment was a bit backhanded?

Personally, I think the tidiness/cleanliness of a house depends on a lot of things. Storage for one. How much you're home is another. How much mess your partner, not just your children, makes is another plus how much they're willing to pitch in.

I sold my house a couple of years ago and boy did I love living in a show home when we had to have it perfect for open for inspections. I know what it takes to get it that way and quite frankly, I can't keep up. I've promised myself that if and when DP gets a 9-5 job and is here in the evenings then everything will be much tidier because one person can tidy while the other gives the girls a bath.

I agree, what your partner does has a huge impact. I live with a messy hoarder! If I leave the house for an hour to go to the gym, he and the kids can trash the house leaving any previous tidying a distant memory.

Also depends on how much to work and what your priorities are. If I was home then I might feel the need to clean but after working all day, then cooking dinner, doing homework, getting the kids bathed and to bed, I know I just want to spend quality time snuggling and chatting to dp when I get moment. Cleaning can wait.

[Mrs P]

Our living room is toy-free like yours, as we are lucky to have a separate playroom. But toys do come out, they just go back in later!! I think there's more mess associated with our two long hair indoor cats in our house

[Phteven]

DH and I bring our toys into the living room so I see no reason why the boys shouldn't. They have just as much right to quiet enjoyment of our home as we do.
Cleaning can always wait but hide and seek and homework need to be attended to.

There is a world of difference between a dirty house and a messy house and we're all so busy that I'm happy to settle for messy. TBH I tend to think that a tidy house is a sign of a wasted life.