Kid Chaos

Thursday, November 04, 2010

I went over to my friend's house for lunch yesterday. She has 5 kids, ages ranging from I'd say 2ish to maybe 12ish.

Her house is so different than ours. It is a historic place in walking distance of the quaint downtown, and while its rooms are on the small side, there is alot of space. There are random shoes in the front hall, the dining room table is askew, a coat rack with 15 coats on it, a space for homeschooling, and kitchen counters covered with breakfast dishes, bread dough bowls, tea pots, and milk glasses. I have never seen such a full dishwasher as the one her daughter was unloading, there were story books open on the floor and couch blankets thrown here and there, and it was never quiet. She is so lucky.

There are so many contrasts to our house. Ours is a modern-built traditional house in a neighborhood next to a cow pasture. Our shoes are all in a basket by the door. Our kitchen and dining room tables are square to the wall and the tablecloths are the same. Unless I am cooking right this very second, there are no dirty dishes on the counter, and everything is put away in the cabinet. I load our dishwasher in the most type-A fashion you could ever imagine (trust me, it is quite the source of teasing!), and I never overfill it. I fold all the blankets in the morning, and make sure to take care of any clutter. And here, it is very, very quiet alot of times (except when the UPS guy drives by and the dogs go nuts).

As I spent time with her, I couldn't help but think of the differences between her house and mine. Would it bother me to have so much chaos of kids after living with peace for so long? How would I handle 3 different kids asking if they can have another sandwich after I just told them to sit and wait for a minute and then 25 seconds later they ask again?

It might be very different- messier, louder, and less type-A- than our current household, but at least I will be a mom.

7 comments:

Coco said...

You would be AWESOME at it! Type A would just help you make sense of the rubbish. Kids (usually) come one at a time, so it gives you time to get used to the tumult...or so I'm told. :) Yes, she is very very lucky.

AL said...

She is so lucky and blessed, but kids, wow that is a lot to handle!

you would totally adapt to the chaos and be able to organize it in a way that suits your type - A ness.

the misfit said...

It's funny. There are a lot of things I was prepared - eager - to do without because I wouldn't be able to have them with a bunch of kids (quiet, free time, evenings out, extra money, a full-time job, crystal on the table, etc.). And now I've had them for years, and suddenly it seems like losing them would be a big deal. I never felt that way before. I wonder why?

But, I can say, I wouldn't have to give up a meticulously clean house and always-washed dishes. Because I don't have those now :).

Trisha said...

You could handle it, I know it! You should be in the classroom with them...20 at a time trying to tell you something :)

Melissa said...

My sister likes to call it beautiful chaos. She's very Type A but made it work for her. And sure her house/life is messy from time to time but tells me she wouldn't want her life anyother way.

I know you'll be wonderful at it.

Jessica said...

I am very type-A too, but I welcome the chaos anytime!!

Anonymous said...

I like chaos, but then again, I grew up with 5 brothers and sisters! Our house was always pretty clean though, because as soon as we were old enough (maybe 6 or 7) we each had regular jobs to help my mom (dishes, making lunches, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, etc). I think sometimes the more kids you have, the easier it gets. 3 or 4 kids is tough, but once you have 5, 6, 7 the older kids are old enough to start helping and takes a lot of the load off.
I know that I enjoy some peace and quiet now, but just as too much noise and chaos can get overwhelming for anyone, so can the silence. My sister's house is chaotic and she only has two kids. I think some people tend to be more organized and can dial down the mess better than others...
But in the end, I'd take complete chaos over childlessness any day!