‘In the summer our house is one big mess’
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Normally the house of Clint Edwards and his family looks fairly tidy. Except in the summer holidays: then it’s one big mess. “And I really don’t give a damn.”
Toys everywhere
“The day before it was my wife’s birthday, I told her I was going shopping with the kids to buy her a present,” Clint said. ‘Do you know what her answer was? “What I really want is for our house to stop being such a mess.” That made Clint realize that their household is a lot less tidy in the summer than the rest of the year. ‘With three children under the age of 12, there are toys, clothes and garbage everywhere. Normally we clean that up, but when the children are home during the summer holidays, it’s a different story.’
Instagram home
Clint knows families who manage to run a spick and span household in the summer. ‘These children help with the laundry, load the dishwasher and clean their room. But you know? I really don’t care about those Instagram-esque houses.” His children don’t lift a finger in the summer. “They want to do their own thing and that makes it almost impossible to keep our house clean.”
Also read: 8x this is how you playfully involve your child in cleaning up >
‘Enjoy each other’
Clint understands that his wife prefers it to be a bit on the side, but he also thinks that as a parent you don’t have to be ashamed of the extra clutter. ‘Don’t feel bad if you prefer to take your child to the swimming pool or teach your daughter to ride a bike and therefore do not get to do the laundry. Summer – and our children’s childhood – is short-lived. So let the house be messy and enjoy each other’s company.’
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