Fed up with unrealistic “clean house” guides on Pinterest, a Utah mom of three created one that more accurately reflects parents’ housekeeping struggles.
Blogger Meredith Ethington posted “A Real Mom’s Guide To A Clean House” ― a foolproof cleaning method that involves steps like “soak dishes in soapy water so it appears you’re going to clean them,” “look under couch cushions for lost food,” “pick up all the stuff on the floors and shove them in a closet” and of course, “cry.”
“I kept seeing these Pinterest guides to keeping a clean house by doing X, Y, and Z every week to make it look spotless, and, I thought, well, I can’t even stay on top of the laundry every week, much less vacuum my couch,” Ethington told The Huffington Post.
The mom said the response to her “guide” has been fantastic. “I’ve had so many moms thanking me for keeping it real, and for giving them realistic expectations. I have even had some moms tell me they’ve already been following my routine for years unknowingly.”
Following the success of her blog post, Ethington posted a video breaking down the method on her Facebook page.
Ethington, who has a 10-year-old, 8-year-old and 5-year-old, said she hopes her “real” guide comforts her fellow parents dealing with an unending series of kid messes.
“My biggest goal with my blog has always been to take away the unrealistic expectations we often see on social media, and help moms realize that they don’t have to be perfect at everything to be good parents,” she told HuffPost.
“So often we see the pretty side of people’s lives on social media, and often, that pretty side sets us up for feeling like we are failing because we are trying to live up to unrealistic expectations,” she added. “I just hope it makes a mom feel less alone and like she is doing a good job even if her house doesn’t look like a magazine.”
Shout-out to all the parents who haven’t seen their bare floors in years.
H/T Babble
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