“Some people find comments like that rude,” I said.
The little girl looked at me with a snarky smile and said, “yup!”
What really sucks about what 5-year-olds say is that they are 100 percent honest. And indeed, our house was a mess. At the time, I could probably have listed a million reasons to explain our clutter piles, random installments of underwear, laundry baskets full of clean laundry sitting precariously in the middle of the living room, and so on. There always seems to be a bracelet loom, a couple dolls, a play dough kit, and a few dirty dishes on the table.
More
This is a good article and oh so true!!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put! As my aunt was dying of cancer she told her kids that she was sorry that she spent so much time fretting about how clean the house looked and not enough enjoying times with her kids. Please do not make that mistake.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. One of the best gifts a parent can give a child is responsibility.
ReplyDeleteLife isn't all about playing and good times.
Children should be taught to take care of their possessions from an early age, and this includes their homes.
There needs to be a balance. Parents can spend time along with the children tidying up the house and then go to the park.
A chaotic messy house isn't good for anyone and leads to unnecessary stress. It leads to children who aren't organized and orderly.
Just a veiled hit piece on families that teach personal responsibility and a work ethic. Let's make them feel guilty kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm guilty myself of leaving a basket of folded laundry to be put away later, there is no excuse for it.
It's about doing a job through completion. Children as well as adults should pick up and put away something before moving on to another activity.
Keeping up with it is EASIER and letting it pile up into a task that takes hours of effort. Keeping an organized home does help keep your stress levels down. But remember, perfection is the enemy of good.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he should have just relaxed. I have a 5yo and a 1yo. Our house is in constant disarray toys everywhere but the house is vacumed and cleaned daily. Clean is different than messy. That said I could care less because I know my wife is spending quality time with our kids at the park, the beach, reading etc. Having young kids is a pass on a lot of things. Its certainly a pass on owning nice things LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt's a balance. I personally do not think there is any excuse for messes and disorder as it does tend to raise everyone's stress level when things are chaotic.
ReplyDeleteYou can spend quality time with children organizing which teaches them to take care of their possessions. How much more quality can you get then teaching them valuable life lessons while engaging in an activity?
This isn't to say that playing and reading and recreational activities aren't necessary as well, but shouldn't be the only idea of what constitutes quality time.