I spent the first half of the football game stress cleaning the kitchen (as per my usual). The second half I went to watch it on TV with my husband and THIS happened at the kitchen table. It’s a mess. And there’s also a mess of toy cars in the living room, a mess of superheroes in the basement and a mess of art projects taped up all over the house.
I’m not mad.
It’s taken me a long time to get to this point- the point where the messes don’t bother me. The mess is annoying, but it isn’t a problem. It’s a blessing. The mess means the kids weren’t fighting. They were engaging in creative play. They weren’t on phones or screens of any kind. I got to watch the game uninterrupted while they made that mess.
I’m glad I’m raising the kind of kids who make messes. They’re playful and artistic and they’re collaborators. These are important life skills. Just like the skill to clean up after yourself, which is one I’m about to go remind them of.
Wish me luck.
Listen here to my Mom Moment on My Bridge Radio about finding beauty in the mess: