By Amanda Crews 
Our home isn’t a curated photo. In fact, if someone saw a picture, the only reason they may stop scrolling would be because they were shocked someone would post that kind of mess. I could literally clean my house from sun up to sun down, and it would still be messy after my kiddos went to bed. However, what I’ve learned throughout my journey of motherhood is that messy and dirty are two totally different things.
Our home is messy. There are toys scattered about, makeshift craft creations tucked away in random crevices, and shredded or cut construction paper littered near a pair of kid’s scissors. I have no clue where they found those scissors for the 800th time. There are stuffed animals resting on our kitchen table and water bottles in random places. Toys seem to spill out of every corner too. Shoes are near-ish the back door, but I can always count on finding a little pair scattered in our living room. Depending on the time of day, I may even find a pile of clothes that were just removed randomly in the living room. An outsider may see a mess, but for me, all of these things are signs my children are happy and comfortable in their home.
We live here. They truly live here. These will be some of the best days of their entire lives. Days where imagination and freedom run wild. They craft and create the most random things, leaving a mess of glue, glitter, and shredded paper behind. But as they show us, they beam with pride and confidence in their work.
They play with Super Mario characters, Barbies, DUPLO, and LEGO. They build imaginary castles and have conversations with people I’ve never even heard of. Even though it drives me a little (or a lot, actually) crazy, they pull all the blankets from our blanket basket and make a “pool” in the living room. They jump from the couch to the pool and their giggles fill our home.
They are happy. They are wild. They are comfortable. But they’re messy, unintentionally. One day, these will be treasured memories from their childhood for them and for me. They won’t remember the mess. They’ll remember the fun and laughter they had in all the different areas of our home.
So at night when I put my littles to bed and attempt to clean up the mess one last time for the day, I am thankful they are comfortable here. Comfortable enough to enjoy their home. Comfortable enough to play and explore. And comfortable enough to make beautiful, childhood memories here.
Everything boils down to a season, mama. One day, we’ll have our perfectly manicured homes and lawns, but until then, let’s embrace the untidy parts of our home: the toys, the crafts, the Barbies and LEGO, and the scooters in the front yard. For tonight, leave it all and soak in some snuggles and silence. Tomorrow, we ride at dawn with wide-eyed kiddos, eager to start their day in their safe spaces.
by Jen Miller 
by Jodi McDonnell 
by Ashli Brehm 
