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You’ve had a tough day at work, and all you want to do when you come home is enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet with your loved ones. When you open the door, however, you find out that your house is one fine mess, with toys strewn about and dirty clothes all over. What are you to do? Keep calm! Don’t ruin your night by going on a war path. Instead, sit down and breathe. Michele Alignay, MA, Registered Counselor and Parenting-Relationship-Family Life Specialist, says, “Years ago, I was Ms. Order with every little thing organized and every tiny detail in place. But that won’t do with two growing kids. Going home to a messy house may irk me a bit, but I have learned to do some tricks!”
Here are some of Michele’s pointers to help you keep calm when the house is mess.
1. Realize that some things are beyond your control. I have trained the kids to put things in their proper places. But there are days when the kids spruce up on their own or are just plain messy. I cannot be at home the whole time to fix up after them. I do not need to feel guilty as it is not about me, it’s just about the mess.
2. Choose where you will put your energies. After a tiring day and mess at home greets you, choose where your energies should go. Is it in fixing up the mess? Or is it in having a nice chat with your husband and kids? If you choose the first one, then it might affect the other areas where all life-giving matters should be.
3. Train kids instead of doing things for them. We trained our kids to put their toys and personal effects in their proper places, and that training is an ongoing process. They need to be constantly reminded. Start as young as two. The goal is self-reliance.
Image courtesy of Witthaya Phonsawat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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