When I was little we each had jobs. There were our everyday jobs, like making the bed, straightening our bedrooms, and unloading the dishwasher.
And then there were our SATURDAY jobs. The house would be divided up and each of us would be assigned a room. Mine was always the downstairs bathroom. I would spend at least an hour cleaning, scrubbing, sweeping, mopping...I have a vivid memory of my mom showing me how to use a knife and a rag to get all the grit out from around the sink faucet. I learned how to really get a job done right in that bathroom. I took pride in the level of cleanliness I could achieve.
As I grew older I'd bring my portable CD player into the room and sing along with Shania Twain as I scrubbed/sang to myself in the mirror. I could take as long as I wanted, but couldn't do anything else until the job passed inspection. The beauty of Saturday jobs was that when we were all done doing our ONE room, the house was really really clean.
And herein lies my struggle with housekeeping today. 10 rooms, 4 boys who can't really help, one me. I know how to be a team player, I'm a great team player. But alone? I do one room, really really well, and nothing else gets done. It all just gets worse. Kevin is a great cleaner, I really should put that in here. And if we had the house to ourselves for 2 hours we could work miracles, I'm sure. sparkles everywhere. But there are these boys, you see...that need constant supervision and care.
And my mind isn't programmed to do a half-baked job everywhere, which is really all I have time for. I'm meant to do a job well. One job. Really well. And then the whole house was clean. That is how it always was, for years and years and I never really considered how it would change once I had a house of my own. What a let down.
And now the only solution is to have as many kids as my mom did. Train then to clean as my mom trained me. One job. Really well. And the house will finally be clean...that's my suggestion for an easier life. More children. That's just got to be the answer.
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Wait a few years and your boys will be really good at cleaning. Then they will grow up and you will have to do it all yourself again, and that's a shock too. That's where I'm at now.
ReplyDeleteHa! Does this mean you're pregnant again? :)
ReplyDeleteNOT an announcement.
ReplyDeleteNow don't you appreciate all those years that I was the lone cleaner? The downstairs bathroom never reached that "Natalie level" of clean in those days....and it never has again. Except maybe when you're coming for a visit.
ReplyDeleteI completely feel the same way. It is really hard to keep everything clean with little ones. The time will come when we can have helpers not just destroyers too. There has been days where I haven't done anything else but clean all day, at the end of those days my kids are cranky, and upset that I haven't spent any time with them. For now, it is important to take that time for our sweet children, and I know you do an EXCELLENT job at this! You are one of the best mommies I know! Someday, maybe I can be more like you!
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