I’m not a neat freak by any sense of the word, but with all of the stress of surviving, having a messy house just compounded the stress to unbelievable proportions.
With 3 kids and a big dog, our mess built up quickly. At first, we didn’t pay much attention to it, as we just didn’t really have time to deal with it. But very quickly, it started to pile up. Yes, the mess did, but the stress of it was weighing us down.
We started to do small cleanups, making sure all of the crumbs were wiped off the counter, sweeping the floor quickly in high traffic areas, putting the toys away in between activities, and wiping the bathroom sink. Just a simple cleaning of one area at a time made a huge difference in our mental well-being. It was amazing how much unnecessary stress was being added. And at first, we didn’t even realize.
Keeping things clean, even just a little bit, made a huge difference!
Very helpful post. I just retired from teaching this year and I can imagine that being home all day with kids and doing home school would need a lot of organization and planning. Hopefully this will all end soon and the kids can go back to having a normal school year.
Thanks for your kind comments! I’m hopeful this will all soon be a distant memory, but I needed to write it down so I don’t forget! I have a sad feeling that this was not the last one…
Even though I don’t have kids (and don’t understand) I can see where you’re coming from. I don’t envy parents that have to homeschool their kids while they work and do all their other chores. So having a plan is definitely essential.
Before I had kids, I never truly understood the demand of having kids. And before the pandemic, I never really grasps the concept of what life would be like in this situation. But being a list person and a routine person, having a plan was a lifesaver.
Thank you for sharing this very honest and eye opening post. I don’t have kids but I have been watching my sister juggle her career and homeschooling two young kids and it is A LOT! I spent one day doing the online courses with my nephew and it is not easy work. There is homework and prep and follow-up and more than I realized. Kudos to all the moms out there juggling all of this…you guys are amazing!
Thanks! I know everyone is in a different situation at times like these, and not everyone fully understands the other’s situation. And even though everyone’s kids are different, parents are all sort of in a similar situation.
This is a good article. I love the forgiveness in it because in tough times forgiveness, flexibility and understanding are so important.
Thanks! That really kind of you to say!
Thank you for sharing, this is really interesting. We are still in the second lockdown here in Germany with kids not back in school, and it is great to read what helped others through it…
I needed to write it down as I feel the third wave will be upon us before we know it 🙁
This will help me remember how to manage as well.
Thanks for reading!