How to Keep House While Drowning

Super what I needed, but also - didn't land for me? Not completely?

So this is a SUPER gentle and super self-compassionate take on housecleaning. It's specifically addressed to neurodivergent and PTSD folks - especially women - and it has some nice wisdoms in there, both practical and psychological. This didn't land for me, though, since the BIG tldr of the book is something I've already internalized. Namely: there's no such thing as laziness (it is a Puritan/Calvinist lie!!!), and cleaning is NOT a moral task (“cleanliness == godliness” - again, those frickin Calvinists!). Anyway, thanks to my deeply Medieval Italian internal self - where I value things like “bella figura” and “il dolce far niente” - I feel zero MORALITY about my cluttered-ass home or children wearing mismatched socks (it's cute!). So all the many many sections on helping the reader overcome their tidiness-related guilt was just wasted on me. Similarly, when she mentioned that - for those who can afford it - they should not moralize buying help. This was something I used to have a hang-up about - before I (a) became an economist, and (b) lived in developing countries. I will someday write an essay about this.

The author also alienated me a bit because she mentioned, numerous times, the way some social media comment or social media pressure (“Instagrammable”, “pinterestable”) made her feel shitty. And I just wanted to take HER hand, hold it gently, and be like, “Have you considered deleting your accounts? Is social media serving you?”

Maybe I'll write a book and I'll call it “Social media and the Calvinists and Puritans: Why they are out to get you”.

That said, this book did have some very helpful practical tips. Namely:
- Half-assed is better than zero-assed.
- Every room's cleaning can be broken down into (and ranked by): (1) trash, (2) laundry, (3) dishes, (4) things out of their place, and (5) things that have no place.
- Yes, cleaning/keeping house is an endless, cyclical slog with no finite end - so don't wait for that finite end to have fun/relax. Just think of the evening reset: what kindness can you do future you?

Now that a few days have passed, I have noticed myself being kinder to myself (and my partner, probably crucially, HA) re: how our house is a cluttered zoo of toys of mysterious origin. This too shall pass! A season of life!