Monday, 14 December 2015

Having it All

Now I really believe that we can have it all . . . just not all at the same time. I think there is more pressure than ever to be perfect now, there are pinterest boards full of how to have a beautiful home, and instagram only backs up the fact that everyone else has a tidier house than mine.  There are blogs full of perfectly dressed, well behaved children, facebook shows me craft projects and baking that other parents have done with their children and of course these children are running around outdoors, getting their daily quota of vitamin D and fresh air.

All the while, the parents hold down a job, a marriage, friendships and have hobbies.  It must be easy to have it all, or that is how it can sometimes feel.  

The thing is, there is usually more to it than that.  Those stunning instagram images of breakfast in bed usually have the child who is bouncing on your feet cropped out, as well as the pile of dirty washing.  Well, they do in my house anyway.  I record the things I want to remember, I write a blog so that my children can look back and see the good times, the happy faces, the adventures we had together.  The washing up is real enough every day that I have no desire to record and talk about it online as well.



Last month, we hired a cleaner.  I have always wondered what kind of people have a cleaner and I now know exactly who - real people.  I have three small children, only one of which is old enough for an education, I have a job, and a blog, and a social life and a relationship and all of that (plus a love of Netflix) doesn't really leave any time for scrubbing my bathroom tiles and cleaning out the kitchen cupboards.  The washing baskets are overflowing, there is often crumbs under the dining room table and my boys want to go out and explore.

I admire the mothers who seem to do it so well, and I remember what I am good at.  Art in my house consists of water painting, colouring in and other less messy pastimes.  Baking is not a word the children understand.  They do know adventure though, they know we will always go out, that I would pick the park over painting anyday.  They know they are loved more than anything and really that is the most important thing.  There are many boards on pinterest that I flick straight past, but there are plenty that I use for ideas  and inspiration too.

My house is never going to be tidy, it looks 'lived in' at best, but it is our home regardless.  It is full of our clothes, toys and the remnants of our fun.  It is slowly getting better now though (with the help of a cleaner for a couple of hours on a Tuesday morning!).

I can't have it all, at least not right now, but I can have enough.

Do you have a cleaner?  Would you if you could?

11 comments:

  1. Love it :-)
    You give me hope in a house full of chaos. 2 kids, 3 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 hamster & a husband!

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  2. Love it :-)
    You give me hope in a house full of chaos. 2 kids, 3 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 hamster & a husband!

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  3. AMEN to that! Keith actually hired a cleaner throughout my pregnancy with Harry and he's talking about getting another one again now. Between the boys, blogging and freelance work i just don't have enough hours in the day to get it all done, i seriously don't know how others do it! I say good for you, adventures and memory making are much more fun, the boys are only young once! xxx

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  4. A cleaner sounds wonderful- good for you! Adventures are so much more fun then hoovering:)

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  5. We agree with Carie - adventures are surely more fun than hoovering so that's a great decision! Enjoy your Christmas with the family Becky!

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  6. I have also recent to hired a cleaner two hours a week and whilst it felt like a snobby and lazy thing to do it has really helped me feel on top of things again. I really love your comment about you may not do painting and baking but you do do outdoors, it made me think about what I do with my kids rather than what I don't xxx

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  7. I've been looking for a cleaner too! I used to wonder what kind of people had them too but you're right....busy, real life people do!! Anything I can do to free up more time for the kids and work has to be done, that's all there is to it - something has to give and I vote for that to be the cleaning! xx

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  8. We have a cleaner as well only comes in every other week to do the deep cleaning that busy working mommies like us just don't ever find the time to get to. I think the thing about cleaners is its not a status thing it's the price of two cups of starbucks if you think about it. It's not much to get the help you need and the time more with your family.

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  9. I have toyed with the idea of a cleaner but never have as I would end up tidying for them - which kinds of defeats the point really! Good on you though - it is hard juggling everything x

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  10. You know, I don't think anyone can have it all really. Something always has to give as there just aren't enough hours in the day. I've said to Hubby that after we get our extension done and have a bigger kitchen and another toilet to clean I would love to use part of my blog income to get a cleaner. Just a couple of hours a week to take the strain off. I can wash and dry clothes but having someone else clean the kitchen and bathroom would be amazing.
    I think I'm the opposite of you - I bake rather than go to the park but I think we have a good mix of outside and indoors although I leave the crafts for someone else usually! x

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  11. My husband and I both work full time and I do on call as well. We have a 3yo and a 15 m old. After umming and arring for years and then looking but failing to find we are finally getting a cleaner in the new year. I'm hoping that it will help me relax a bit and actually do something for me in my 'spare' time. It just isn't possible to do it all all of the time or any of the time I'm finding at the moment!

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