In today’s world, the mom who stays at home while her husband goes out to work, keeps the house immaculate and still has time for coffee mornings with her friends and painting her nails is about as real as the beloved shows of the 1950s like I Love Lucy. The current reality in the western world is that many women work, either in an office or from home, and even the stay-at-home moms find it difficult to keep up with the kids and the housework. In fact, many women often wonder how their mothers and grandmothers seemed to manage so well in the era before disposable diapers, electric dryers, and biological washing machines. Juggling the responsibilities of work, housework, and being around for the kids is still an unsolved conundrum.
So how does the working mom decorate her home or at least keep it looking good?
First of all, the main places to put your energy are the public areas, as these are the areas seen most by outsiders and are the hardest to hide. (This does not mean that bedrooms should not be tidied, but at least the doors can be closed and the mess hidden if unexpected visitors turn up.)
If we concentrate on the living room, which is the most public room, there are a few basic things to be done if you only have a few hours in the day to tidy up. Most of these tasks are fairly minor and involve a sense of organization and time management:
- Have a rule that you never go to bed leaving dirty coffee cups or plates lying around in there.
- Similarly, always do a sweep/vacuum last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
- Keep the volume of magazines and newspapers down – once a week, declutter. Throw out last week’s old newspapers and clear the racks.
- Teach your children good habits. If they are playing with toys or drawing pictures, tell them that they can’t play with anything else until they have cleared up and put away the things that they have just been using. This is a good habit that should follow them through life.
- Try to have as few empty ledges and shelves in your living room as possible. Unless you really need them, ditch the coffee table and the unused bookcase. This is because all unused spaces draw mess like a magnet and you will find papers and books sprouting everywhere! Take away these things, and you will miraculously find a tidier living room. This is because everything will need a home as there is nowhere to dump it!
- Learn the joys of sofa covers and area rugs. Both of these cover a multitude of sins – i.e. ripped couches and stained carpets, neither of which can necessarily be changed in a hurry. Have you ever wondered what’s under that beautiful floral rug in your neighbor’s house? Well, don’t look – you wouldn’t want to see what’s under there. But you might use the idea in your own home.
Of course, if all else fails, your best bet may be to find a cleaner …
