Weirdly Useful: Leave the House Clean Before Traveling

A lesson my dad taught me

Since Father’s Day just passed and I’m missing my dad who lives in the Philippines, it’s gotten me thinking about a previous post I wrote about 5 Life Lessons My Parents Taught Me That I’m Passing Onto My Kids. I want to talk more about #2-

It’s not vacation if you come home to a dirty house.

Growing up my dad always said, “Never leave your house dirty when you go on vacation.” It’s so true! Does it really feel like a vacation when you come home to a mess? I already hate packing and unpacking, but these chores are made even more stressful when you add the clutter of seeing mess all around you. So, no matter how hectic things get, I always try to leave the house clean when I go on vacation.

How I apply this now that I have kids

Since having kids, I’ve started applying this principle to not just vacations, but leaving the house any time. I think that kids really do thrive on having flexible daily rhythms, a term I learned from a book (I can’t remember which sorry) that means a routine or Traveling schedule that’s flexible.

What a flexible daily rhythm might entail

The part that they thrive on I think is the part of knowing what to expect. Consistency is key. They know anytime we have to walk out that door to go to the park or the store or anywhere for for a length of time, they can expect to have to clean up before they are allowed to leave. The flexible part is that we could leave any time of the day- first thing after breakfast, or even after Luke’s nap, but when we do go out, they know it’s time to clean up first.

This small detail makes all the difference

Coming home to a clean house instead of a house where all the toys are strewn everywhere makes me calm and collected. I compare that to feeling my shoulders tense up walking into a chaotic mess. Especially if we go out in the afternoon, when we come home it feels like a mad rush to get toys picked up, dinner ready, and boys doing bedtime routines. Overwhelm. That’s the feeling I think of walking into a mess after a relaxing outdoor trip during Traveling.

A simple change

It’s such a simple change, but it has made a huge difference. How about you? Do you naturally do this? Do you care about messes? I’m jealous of moms who don’t get stressed out by clutter! I used to be so messy before I married Nate, but now I’m the opposite. I joke around with him all the time that he’s created a monster Traveling hahaaa.

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