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People are more important than a sparkling house.

It took me quite a while to come to this conclusion, and when I finally did,
it took my husband even longer. Why are we raised that our houses should be
sparkling clean at the expense of our children? I missed so much time with my
little ones because of the pressure to have a clean home, and I have a friend
right now that if her husband comes home and the house isn't clean, he starts
yelling and throwing things, upsetting everyone. I think it is something we
allow society to impose on us as "women" , and once we are free of it, our
husbands are so conditioned to believe it as one of our wifely duties that it
continues to become a struggle until they are liberated. My son was born with a
kidney problem and had to have surgery straight after early induced labor. It
took a lot of care in the early years of his life, just to keep him alive.
I'll never forget my husband coming home from work one day and telling me he
just couldn't love me if he had to live in a dirty house. Mind you, we're just
talking messy, not pigsty. No health risks, just piled laundry-dinner not
cooked, you know that kind of stuff you go through with a new baby. Now please
don't start jumping on my husband. He has come a long way since then or we
would not be together! My point is, I see that happening to so many young
mothers-suffering the pressures of having their houses clean, especially by their
husbands and mothers and mothers-in-law. I will encourage and help in anyway to
see that my children grow up and enjoy their children and not worry about
those insignificant things. I must say, I now do flylady, and have much better
control over the house, but even when things get busy and the stuff doesn't get
done, I just don't care. Don't even think about it. I've watched my older
two grow up and I can't hardly remember their lives because I was so "busy".
I'm not making the same mistake with the last one. He has my undivided
attention 90% of the time, and I enjoy every single minute of it. My mother always
said "Things are not as important as people." The house is a thing! Thanks for
saying this, Pam!

Carol