Several years ago, we were introduced to Marie Kondo. First, there was her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” which was published in the United States in 2014. Then there was her Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” where we were inspired by seeing her help people like us, people with families and messy homes, get everything perfectly organized and let go of the clutter. During the early days of the pandemic, we took Kondo’s advice to heart and purged our closets, garages, and more items from our home.
If living in a perfectly organized and color-coordinated house 24/7 seems unrealistic, take heart. Apparently, Kondo actually has become one of us, you know, the people with messy homes.
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Kondo is married with three children, and although she was able to keep her home organized as a mom of two, now, she admits it’s not her top priority. Instead, as a mom of three with a thriving business, she says she has “kind of given up on” keeping her home tidy all the time.
During a media webinar and virtual tea ceremony, Kondo admitted, “My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life.” She added, “Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times.” She continued, “I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home.”
Every parent out there who has a living room full of toys that the kids didn’t put away and a pile of unfolded laundry that will never be filed by color in a drawer, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief. It’s okay. If Kondo, the queen of having everything in its place, can have a “messy” home and prioritize her family over tidying, so can we.
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Kondo admits that it was harder and harder for her to keep her home tidy after having each of her children. On her website, she wrote, “Just after my older daughter was born, I felt unable to forgive myself for not being able to manage my life as I had before. But, with time, I eased up on myself; then, after I gave birth to my second daughter, I let go of my need for perfection altogether. I am busier than ever after having my third child, so I have grown to accept that I cannot tidy every day – and that is okay!”
Kondo added, “Instead of concentrating on clutter or pressuring myself to clean right then and there, I focus on the delight I feel in those present moments, knowing we can address any messes made later on.”
Does it make you feel a little bit better knowing that even Marie Kondo’s home is “messy”?
