May 11, 2009

let it go

I'm trying to let things go. To stop worrying so much about how my house looks. I'm trying to remember what the most important things about raising children are. While I'd love to have a pretty home with a place for everything, and everything in it's place, it's just not realistic right now. I have three kids. They are home all day, everyday! And I have come to realize that having a clean house takes so much of my time and energy that I don't have enough leftover for the truly important things.

playing
laughing
reading
creating
singing
relaxing

The getting down on the floor, the lazing outside, the long bike rides, the nature walks, the discovery of life, the teaching moments, the cuddling.

Making messes is a part of being real. Of living life. Experimenting and learning.

So I'm going to try. Try hard. To just let it go. To be a more playful mother than a constantly worrying mother. The floor may need sweeping, the table may be full of drawings, paintings, play-do, and projects, going outside might mean putting the dishes off for a few hours, but at the end of the day what will really matter is how happy I've made my children.

Living in filth is not an option, but neither is living in perfection. I need to stop trying to get to that point and take more time to enjoy these precious years.



Yes, he's got a pink bib. The product of having two older sisters :)

3 comments:

  1. exactly :) i can't imagine the kinds of messes that happen with 3 kids at all ages, being home all day!! ah! we're going to start chore/responsibility charts soon. for all four of us, so the kids see that we parents have stuff to "do"--that we all pitch in (and it will help organize adam and myself--which is never a bad thing). i'm trying to teach them the reponsibility of cleaning up as they go. clean before they start a new project or mess. or clean before free time. i'm tired of trailing after them when it's their mess, or letting it build until it's too overwhelming for them to clean. plus, when they are dealing with their mess, i can deal with my own. easier said than done sometimes, though. yesterday was one of those days where i saw crumbs everywhere, laundry piled, dishes piled, and my energy was zero! overwhelming. i figure that it WILL get done. sometimes in a burst of energy, and sometimes by forcing myself--work first play later. just like i'm trying to each them. (ugh).

    we need new pics soon! ;)

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