Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness...True, But For Sure It's Next To Happiness

It's not new that most who ever visits our house has a comment about how do I manage to keep everything tidy? In one recent dinner invite (who was visiting us for the very 1st time ever) one of the invitee just casually asked - Do you guys live always this clean!?  But what surprised me is  that they were in disbelief that someone could live this way. On the contrary I couldn't imagine how else one should live?

I can't keep the board hanging for too long that says "Please excuse the mess my kid(s) is(are) making memories". And I definitely DO NOT AGREE to the quote that says "Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles and dirty ovens and happy kids" (Please don't title anyone "Good" or "Bad" based on this). Come on that's just a poor excuse for your filthyness!. I can't fathom that how can one be happy in a place like that.

I must also say it's not one man's/woman's job in my case. We (have to) share our chores and we get it done most of the time in timely manner. This "WE" includes my son. Which means that I don't have to pick up after my son (or my husband). Since keeping it clean is so important to me (us) I had to inculcate this in my now 6 year old too. With the new home its kind of taken that if we don't share and care we would never be able to live happy.

I read a quote that said - "I get more cleaning done in the 20 min before someone comes over than during the whole week." Well my motto is to take out few min (most) everyday for cleaning so that its much easier to do it than turmoil once a few months.

I know you wouldn't believe if I say my son helps me out tidying, dusting and wiping the areas/spots that he can reach if he knows someone is visiting us. To add on to that if I say that I don' have to ever ask for help and offers to help by himself. The incentive (that he asks for) is that he gets to mop the floor with a sprayer and stick mop and he loves that. Yes, the incentive for cleaning the other areas is yet another cleaning activity. It's too good to be true (but that is indeed true). I am so proud of you sweetie and I am lucky to have you as my son! Of course we reward him for his good deeds.

This may sound finicky to most of you. But, before you all get judgmental let me say that I am not patronizing in any way.  All I am trying to say is that's just how I (we) live. As much as I would like to live in "Utopia" city, there are some days when I sulk and hate doing any cleaning, but I just get back to it sooner than later.

This also doesn't mean I am in any way judging others who don't spend as much time tidying or organizing. As a matter of fact I am now practicing to let go (a little bit) of my OCD and learning to live in a way where I can say - My house is clean enough to be healthy and messy enough that I could still stay happy.