After our last family outing of the summer—a much-needed vacation with all three kids (which I’ll tell you more about soon, but trust me, it was a blast)—we walked through the door of our home to find clean floors and an empty laundry room floor. Seven days a week, our laundry room looks like a tornado hit it, so this was a miracle. Not a single piece of dirty laundry scattered around. Can you believe it? Of course, this immaculate state didn’t last long—by the next morning, socks were strewn everywhere again. But for those few hours, it felt like heaven.
Turning the corner into the kitchen, I saw a sparkling sink and a fully loaded dishwasher. The only thing out of place was the suitcase from our trip to Michigan, still sitting there unpacked. It’s moments like these that make me wish my days could look like this more often.
This cleanliness wasn’t my doing—it was my mom (and likely dad too, because she probably corralled him into helping). They watched the older kids while my husband and I took Skylar to Michigan, and then stuck around for a couple more days to tidy up after us. Mama, you’re a lifesaver!
As someone with a Type-A personality, I’ve always strived for order in our home. Before marriage and kids, my house was spotless. Now, it’s a constant juggling act between work, parenting, and keeping the chaos at bay. My kids are getting better at cleaning up after themselves, but there are still days when it feels like my entire day revolves around tidying up after them.
One thing I’ve been trying to work on is slowing down—not just for myself, but for my kids too. I realized how often I used the word “hurry†in my vocabulary. Sure, there are times when being on time matters, but I’ve started to plan ahead more carefully and give my kids the space they need to get ready without feeling rushed.
A wise friend of mine, Shannon, recently wrote an article about this very topic as part of her Mothering with HeART e-course, and her words stuck with me. She pointed out that when we let our kids take the lead and set the pace, everything feels calmer. Her insight resonated deeply with me.
Another article I stumbled upon recently echoed the same message. If you haven’t read Rachel Macy Stafford’s piece on Huffington Post, stop what you’re doing and check it out—it’s eye-opening. It reminded me that sometimes, slowing down isn’t just good for the kids—it’s good for me too.
So, while my kids might still scatter socks across the floor within hours of a clean sweep, I’m learning to embrace the process. After all, parenting isn’t just about the end result—it’s about the journey, messy as it may be.
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