Before having children, I shuttered at the image of kid’s ‘stuff’ spread throughout the house. One-use baby accessories, musical toys playing the same three melodies over and over, burp cloths stained with spit-up thrown on the backs of furniture, snack crumbs embedded in furniture seat cushions, and sticky handprints on coffee tables were not focal pieces to my ideal home decor style.I have and always will enjoy the peace that organization and cleanliness bring to our house. The clutter of a life filled with children seemed overwhelming and unappealing.
And Then Life Happened
Fast forward to almost four years later and there are toys in most rooms of our home, a kitchen filled with tiny plates, cups, and silverware, a bathtub loaded with toys, and child-size teepee as one of the larger ‘decorative pieces’ in our family room. Every two years or so we have welcomed a new member to the family; and with them, comes their ‘baby liter.’
Swings, burp cloths, bottles, and jumpers make their appearance and seem to overstay their welcome. While I am happy to say we do not have sticky handprints on most of our surfaces, we do have crumbs in our couch and a plethora of musical toys playing their tunes throughout the day.
As I look around our home, I do find myself loving it, all of it. I love the memories that come to mind that may have been made earlier in the day or week when glancing at a particular toy or book. I love seeing a baby bed placed directly in the middle of the family room packed with ‘night-night babies.’ I smile at a row of cars lined up for their next race. I love these objects interrupting my attempts at decorating and the joy that they bring to my kids’ faces when they meet each morning. So, bring on the ‘baby liter.’ Sprinkle on the ‘kid liter’ here and there, I love it!
There is, however, one room in our home that I do not love living among my kid’s belongings: our bedroom. It is a small, clutter-free space – save the occasional ‘grounded toy’ it is 100% kid free. There are no books, toys, stuffed animals, or musical instruments allowed or welcomed in our bedroom. As soon as I see a small set of hands holding an unwelcome item, I shoo it out. Legos, dolls, Nemo’s, books, and blocks have to find somewhere else to live because our room is for my husband and me.
And while all this fuss may seem a bit immature or cruel, it is simply the one space in our home that is ours. Through and through, this room is a place that we can retreat to, read, surf the internet, and occasionally sleep-in without stepping on a Little Person or squishing Scout the musical Leapfrog puppy that DOES NOT SHUT OFF SOON ENOUGH.
I also acknowledge this as being selfish, but I do not hold a single bit of guilt because I NEED this space. I NEED this serenity. This is the place I come as a worn, tired, grouchy mom to relax, reset, and recharge.
While my kids are relatively young, they have come to know that our bedroom is not a place to hold stuffed animal circuses or start a percussion band. I have, however, made it a point that they know they are welcome anytime for any reason.
And while this is our space, we absolutely spend mornings cuddling, telling stories in bed, and playing peek-a-boo in the sheets. We laugh, we play and we tickle. And then we get on with our day and return to our loving life of ‘kid liter’ throughout the rest of our home.
