I posted this picture on my personal Facebook page recently and it provoked quite the reaction. Dozens of 'likes' and comments and people recoiling in horror as their OCD kicked in. But it was the private messages and texts that surprised me. So many people got in touch with me on the QT, thanking me for outing myself as someone who doesn't have a perfectly manicured home. In a world of "sharenting", where parents present the smiliest, happiest, most airbrushed version of family life on social media, apparently my dose of reality was a welcome break from sunshine and rainbows.
The fact is, having children often means that you have to put up with an element of chaos that in a previous life would make your skin crawl or your ass cheeks clench. They're messy, energetic, Tasmanian Devils that sweep through the house, undoing any work you've done to make the place look half decent. Some days I give up chasing my tail and let the madness ensue. It's not always easy to turn a blind eye, but for the sake of my sanity, I let things slide. The playroom has a door that I have no problem closing after I've done a sweep of the rest of the house and just fling things in there.
Some day, it'll be like something out of a magazine, with quaint artwork on the walls and little wooden, educational toys dotting the floor, with clutter hidden away in stylish storage solutions. But for now, I'm embracing the plastic explosion because the kids really love messing around in there. And I promise it's not always that messy. My husband tidied it the other day, so it'll probably be OK for the next 20 minutes or so....
So now please...post your #parentingshame confessions in the comments section!
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