[Chef Isaac]

I have noticed something lately...... you walk into my great grandmas house and it is sparkling clean. Always.

You walk into my grandmas house and it is sparkling clean.... always.

You call mom to tell her your coming over with a friend, and she has to clean a lot.

My house? Always unclean and unorganized.

Do you think this is a priority judgment (meaning it is not high on some peoles list of things to do)? Or do you think it is a generation thing?

Thoughts?

Heck, now my wife and I listed all the house chores and placed them day by day. Gives us a bench mark and an easy to do list.

 

[giant pumpkin peep]

Well...maybe your grandma and great grandma dont work and therefor have more time to do things like clean.

 

[Chef Isaac]

good point. Great grandma had a lot of kids but she did stay home. Grandma worked full time.

 

[Ruben]

I think grandma's have plenty of time to clean. They spent years in the rush of life and when they finally got out of it ( children raised and retired from work ) they finally said I have time to clean. Now for the grandma's who were house wives all their life, they just never retired and keep it spotless.

 

[Swobee]

I am in many homes in any given week. Housekeeping skills certain vary from one home to another and it seems from one age group very often to another. When the person is about my age (50's) and says 'my house is a mess' = there may be a few things out of order, possibly some junk mail sitting around on the table, etc.

When someone a little older says 'my house is a mess' = nothing I can see is out of place, what the heck is she talking about? You can eat off the floor, walls, etc. Oh, you mean the trash can is almost half full and it's never like that?

Now, somebody around 20 - 30 says 'my houseis a mess' = you better bring your level B Hazmat suit and just don't touch anything... I mean nothing!

It was taught in years past that your homemaking was like a signature. It took priority, it meant you better get it done and done right or people would talk. I don't believe it has any high priority any longer. That said, I was afraid to go into our older daughter's apartment while she was in school. Now as a second time mommy, it's almost always picked up very nicely or if not, there's a reason and just wait a minute, it will be very neat in no time. Our younger one kept a pretty neat home while in college and now that she's moved back home temporarily (like until she's 40 maybe?) she is back to her high school pile-it-on-the-floor-til-it-flows-out-the-door style of housekeeping. Not sure what caused the digression.

A lot of it is many folks simply have so much "stuff" that the rooms are often cluttered and there is no good way to make it look neat if one tried.

 

[Hambone]

I don't and won't clean my house. Though I do pay someone to do it. Does that make me a type A person, or am I just lazy?

When I was kid the house cleaning was not my duty. But the lawn equipment and the cars better not have a spot on them or it was belt time for me. Funny part is I guess it stuck with me. I still polish the edger, and you could eat off my lawn mower, though the food would slip off from the fresh coat of wax on it.

 

[Countryboy]

Grandma doesn't have little kids tracking in dirt all the time. (and after all these years she finally has Grandpa trained to wipe his feet on the doormat or rug.)

It's easy to keep a place clean if you don't do anything to dirty it up.

 

[bigbearomaha]

I think it's partly generational.

people from those days gone by had pride in what they did. if mama stayed home as many many did, that was their primary task to keep the house up and it was more of an accomplishment to keep it clean despite having a houseful of kids ( hence many people who were children back then will l remember being sent outside alot)

things have changed a lot since then. many women have jobs outside the workplace as the men still do. That leaves less people and time to make that task a priority.

just my two cent.

Big Bear

 

[charmd2]

I'm in the thirty age bracket.. And if I say my house is a mess, I probally mean two hours of pick up time and it will be immaculate again.. But Most of the time, dirty socks are hiding under chairs, the floor needs swept/mopped, thirty jackets and shoes are strung across the house, backpacks and assorted child stuff strung from one end to the other, and dishes and laundry still need caught up.


That said, it doesn't quite qualify for hazmat. lol. My house isn't big enough to tolerate it without the once a week momma getting mad making everyone pull their share.

 

[Brenda]

When I was younger and my son was little, the house got messy. It's hard to keep up after a youngin, a dog, a hubby in his second child hood, and work too.
Now the house stays fairly clean. I still have the messy hubby (he leaves a trail behind him), no dog, son is grown and has a family of his own.