Clutterfree with Kids - A Review

We have our house listed for sale.  In the process of getting ready to list, we literally removed half our possessions from our home and they are currently residing in a storage container.  Half of our stuff is gone... and I LOVE IT! 

We have a fairly tiny house (under 2000 sq. ft) for a family of eight.  I don't think we have as much stuff as most smaller families do but we have definitely accumulated too much.  Putting our belongings in storage has given me an appreciation of how a less cluttered space makes me feel.... like I have more breathing room.  It's easier to take care of things... and I can whip through this house and get it clean in far less time.

The sad truth is that as soon as our house sells... everything in that storage container is coming back into our space.

I have spent a great deal of my life trying to organize possessions. I have likely read hundreds of blogs and books on organization. The one idea that I will take away from reading Clutterfree With Kids... is that organizing is not enough; decluttering is not enough.  I need to take a long, hard look and DE-OWN.

I need to get rid of what I don't need, don't love, don't want.... and I need to be very purposeful with everything I allow into our home.... easier said than done when it comes to kids.  With 6 children, I highly doubt that I will ever really experience what it feels like to be truly clutterfree.  But I did enjoy the book; it's a much needed mind-shift for me.  We'll see how things go in the new space.

All Joy and No Fun - A Review

"Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents?

In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear." (from amazon)

Just got this book from the library.  Thankfully, it was one of those books on parenting that made me take a step back and think to myself, "Whew!  I'm not entirely #$##*&ing up this parenthood thing!" 

My kids are out of babyhood thankfully... but I still remember those moments of mothering tiny children when I wanted to rip my hair out from the exhaustion, isolation, and sheer boredom... and the guilt that accompanies those feelings, "Why am I not loving every minute of this?"

So many books glorify and canonize the role of parents.  All Joy and No Fun examines and quantifies the reasons why parenting can be so difficult and at times completely without rewards.  Parenting through different historical periods, ages and stages, and parenting across different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds are addressed... all the while examining why parenting can intrinsically be much less than satisfying... and why we continue to subject ourselves to the backbreaking and often thankless work of guiding a child from birth through to adulthood. 

It's always refreshing to know that I am not alone in my sentiments... and that even those parents in their 'Pinterest' homes driving their kids to 6 different activities per week, are struggling with their own "why did I sign up for this?" moments.

Like any other crazy-busy mom I am plagued by the ever present 'Cloak of Guilt.' 
"Am I doing enough?  Should I be doing more?"
I highly recommend this book... It's nice to normalize your 'parenting fails' from time to time... and let go of the 'mama guilt' even if only for a few hours.