Eating off the floor

Washing the walls today and looking at ALL the toys my child has, which is a lot but when it comes to having other kids here its never enough. I start to think about my childhood growing up we were never allowed to have toys outside our bedrooms, when we had a toy room they were never allowed outside the toy room. We were always sent away to “go play”, I don't have a single memory of my mom actually getting down and playing with me, nor my grandmother who raised me. Adults didn't play! My dad would build things with me like go carts and other things out of wood, but that was teaching me how to use tools properly. I heard a quote and I love it, going back to the way we were raised the way things were “back then”, “We now know better so we must do better”. We know that children do better with adult interaction and play. My son will have millions of memories of us playing together be it at the play ground racing down the slides side by side or in the living room with ALL the toys pulled out around us racing cars. He will have memories of bringing toys to the kitchen table so we can play together while I work. Blaine will not have memories of being “sent away to play”. Does he go and play by himself, of course hes an only child he plays by himself all the time but not hidden away because god forbid someone come over and see his toy mess.

The kitchen is the only room that no toys, dogs and limited children are allowed that is also the room that is spotless cleaned almost daily, this isn't because I am anal about a clean cooking kitchen this is because I bake for people in there and I have seen the inside of restaurant (insert vomit gagging noises) my standards for a kitchen and my house are far higher than that.
My house used to be spotless and at one time I made the kids keep their toys either outside or downstairs, did I play with them kind of but not really. Did I send them to go play, yes, do I now know better, understand better and have been and will do better, YES!

I really dislike when people say, well I was raised this way so its good enough for my kids, we didn't know the things then that we do today. Yes somethings I still do like LOTS of playing outside, exploring and discovering everything and learning by doing as long as its not going seriously hurt anyone. The difference is I am doing it with him hes not alone, he is not left to figure out life and comfort himself when he falls. Knowledge is power and that is true when it comes to children as well.

There are days when I miss a spotless house where you could eat off the floors and when you walked in you smelled bleach and pinesol but today I know better so I do better. We use no chemicals in cleaning, which means Blaine can actually help me with cleaning and he enjoys it. Growing up in the 80's and having a mother who was OCD clean, the smell of bleach and pinesol meant it was clean, today we know these chemicals hurt the earth, people and animals. It is still a struggle not to just pull my bucket out get on my hands and knees and scrub the crap out of everything with these cleaners.

In our brains we create pathways, smells, actions etc cause us to go down these pathways it takes a lot of strength and determination to force your brain to create new paths. Mine is changing the way I think about clean and cleaning. 

My home is tidy, clean (not spotless) and filled with love, fun, and memories. I don't want my son to grow up to appreciate a clean house more than the people in it, that used to be me. So I spend about 30 mins in the morning and 30 mins at night cleaning up the house, I wash floors and walls about once a week give or take and I LIVE, LOVE and be HAPPY.

I don't judge those with untidy homes or spotless homes (might be a little envious at times)

Please note: there is a difference between a clean and tidy home, a spotless home, and dirty home, a child growing up in filth is not okay it can cause serious health, mental health and physical issues.

Its a hard thing to do, stopping feeling guilty about how clean the house, stopping comparing everyone else spotless home to mine, its even harder to not listen to those especially family who believe a spotless home is the upmost importance. Life is more important than eating off the floors besides the dogs will get it first!!!