How do the likes of Stacey Solomon and Mrs Hinckley do it?!

[Anythingelseintheboxpandora]

Toddlers and small children.

Immaculate, calm houses.

How?! My house is a fucking riot!

To be fair, you only see what they post on social media, which is the same with anyone. If I post a picture of something on Instagram, I make sure I’ve shoved all the mess to the side first.

Also, if you every time you tidied up and posted it on Instagram your career and income we’re boosted, you’d probably feel quite motivating to crack on with the housework. I know I would.

Mansions, cleaners and spare time. If I was going to post a photo of my living room it would take maybe half an hour to blitz it tidied and cleaned. They could spend 2 days tidying and cleaning to take one photo.

Also a lot of influencers take lots of photos or videos on one day, and post them seperately. So if they have a kid-free day they could clean the house, take photos, re-arrange, take photos.

You'd be a fool to think what you see on Instagram is a reflection of real life.

Exactly. Don't look.

They’re being paid to promote certain items so essentially when they post a picture they’re working if that makes sense? Plenty of their ‘followers’ fall for the trick and end up buying the stuff they’re promoting. Instagram is a bit like QVC without the easy pay.

I know plenty of people in real life who have immaculate homes without any help because they’ve always lived that way so it’s no effort and their children know no different but they’re not posting on Instagram for money so they go unnoticed. I remember as a kid a few friends whose parents would never let them in the living room because it was saved for best, a show home room in a house of mess.

I had 3 under 5 and my house was never a tip, my laundry pile was never huge and i cooked form scratch most days but i didn't buy more toys than the playgroup, the children had 2 pairs of pyjamas, 2 sets of weekend clothes, a few outfits for weekdays, old clothes for messy play and 2 coats. These days children have rooms full of toys and more clothes and shoes than M & S. The more "stuff" you cram in the house the messier it will be. Don't fill it to the brim and it will be calmer .

@TheTurn0fTheScrew

it's literally their job to have a clean house. If it's how I earned a very good wage I'd be all over it as well, and have no qualms about using childcare.

This

I'm sure if push came to shove, I could find a tidy corner of my house to take a photo. It's just a snapshot.

@Watercolours272

I cant believe that SS took a faux succulent plant to hospital with her for her Instagram shot. What an absolute joke. I really wouldn't take anything you see on there seriously. It's not real life.

^^ Absolutely this. And filmed a flat lay #ad from hospital of all the items she had with her while her child is under anaesthetic. What normal parent would even think of doing that? Plus she's a millionaire, it's not like she needs the cash!

It's referred to as Instasham for a reason. People getting paid ridiculous sums of money to shill products they would never use, from homes which are cleaned and tidied by someone else. Most of what you see on IG is about as real as Eastenders.

The sad thing is people are taken in by it, and then fall into debt or depression from the cost and effort of trying to create an Insta-perfect life, which doesn't really exist anyway.

Just looked at Stacey Soloman's Instagram. Seriously?! It's like looking at someone's holiday photographs. What a load of old shite..... pickle.

SS leaves her youngest in a soaking wet nappy, and freely admits that she doesn't get a wash every day. I Imagine she uses the spare time to piss about on insta!
The best way to have a tidy home is to de clutter, have good storage to hide stuff, and spend some time cleaning every day. As long as you can prepare food safely and the toilet isn't brown you're doing OK!

@katienana really??
That’s grim, beyond lazy if that’s true.
I just hate the way any of these instamums (don’t follow any of them but others pop up in my explore page) have always got something to sell! Bore off I can work out where to buy clothes and sofas from, I don’t look on Instagram for that stuff!

You see a snippet of their lives a couple of times a day; they choose what they show you.

Don’t compare.

Also, Mrs Hinch’s husband doesn’t work, so she has a lot more help.

If you have small children and you want an immaculate house, I think there’s a few main ways of going about it:

A) hire lots of help. Childcare, cleaners etc;
B) arrange things so the DC are out of the house most of the time during their waking hours to limit the amount of mess they can make;
C) be seriously minimalistic. It’s harder to make a mess if there’s hardly any stuff around to clutter up the house.

But, more seriously, I’d take what people post on social media with a pinch of salt.
People choose what photos / videos to post, and they’re generally going to choose photos / videos that are consistent with the image of themselves that they want to portray. The reality of people’s lives isn’t necessarily as perfect as it might appear on social media.

@Watercolours272

I cant believe that SS took a faux succulent plant to hospital with her for her Instagram shot. What an absolute joke. I really wouldn't take anything you see on there seriously. It's not real life.

Absolutely, I couldn’t believe my eyes 😄 I considered unfollowing her for that and all the OTT super duper happy pickle-iness but she seems so genuinely lovely. I’m sure she wouldn’t give a shit if I unfollowed her tjoufh obviously! But like why are you spending time packing all that crap and instagramming it before heading off to hospital 😂 what a world.

Oh I know really that it’s all a fantasy. But it just gets to me sometimes. Tidying my house is like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. Utterly futile (it’s not even that cluttered, my kids are just like two tornados).

I like SS. I won’t pretend to understand the succulent in hospital thing but I think she’s very likeable generally. I’m enjoying her book I find it quite inspiring (although I draw the line at hanging up my crisps)

Stacey Solomon's behaviour in hospital is utterly nauseating and a complete insult to anyone who's ever had to deal with a seriously ill child in hospital. Many parents are still being told due to Covid they can only bring minimal items for a hospital stay to reduce any infection risk. Yet that moron brings in 2 bags worth of goods and does a paid ad while she's there. Bet she won't be donating the fees to the NHS either .

She's a perfect example of the old adage, love of money is the root of all evil. And still people fall for her nonsense.

@Grenlei

Stacey Solomon's behaviour in hospital is utterly nauseating and a complete insult to anyone who's ever had to deal with a seriously ill child in hospital. Many parents are still being told due to Covid they can only bring minimal items for a hospital stay to reduce any infection risk. Yet that moron brings in 2 bags worth of goods and does a paid ad while she's there. Bet she won't be donating the fees to the NHS either .

She's a perfect example of the old adage, love of money is the root of all evil. And still people fall for her nonsense.

Wow that’s really harsh. She’s just made the best of it. She was allowed to bring the stuff in, she spent the night, it’s never easy even if it’s a minor issue, honestly there’s no need for the vicious attack she’s done nothing wrong.

Apart from at dinner time which is like feeding time at the zoo here.
And the playroom which always looks like a bomb has gone off. (until they're in bed)

My house is always clean, tidy 'immaculate most people say '
Washing kept on top of. Labelled and organised boxes. No clutter etc
I have a 1 and 3 Yr old and a teen. To me it's lived in?

I also take the kids out every day without fail. Whether that be local park to theme park once a week, and farm etc regularly.

I also have 3 friends the same. But also many who aren't. Who are just as happy but in an unorganised way haha.

It doesn't define me. I've always been the same. In fact I was worse before (ocd)

Everyone is different and have different lives.

Oh come off it! What actual right thinking parent would bring fluffy slippers and a fake plant ,(plus a load of other tat) to their child's hospital stay? Let alone then post a load of ads using said that!

She wasn't 'allowed' to bring that stuff in. Parents on children's wards currently can't bring in hot drinks, let alone fake plants! Her massive sense of entitlement - common to many of the instahuns - means she thinks she can just turn up with everything but the kitchen sink and people will just find it cute and endearing. Hospital staff were probably too scared of a bollocking to say no to her. However I think the cynical posting of ads today when her child was in surgery - from someone who regularly fake cries over blossom and flowers - has shown her true colours.

Sometimes the truth hurts. Hopefully someone in Stacey's circle will have the balls to tell her that she's gone too far with all this. But I don't think she'd listen even if they did. 🤷

@Grenlei

Oh come off it! What actual right thinking parent would bring fluffy slippers and a fake plant ,(plus a load of other tat) to their child's hospital stay? Let alone then post a load of ads using said that!

She wasn't 'allowed' to bring that stuff in. Parents on children's wards currently can't bring in hot drinks, let alone fake plants! Her massive sense of entitlement - common to many of the instahuns - means she thinks she can just turn up with everything but the kitchen sink and people will just find it cute and endearing. Hospital staff were probably too scared of a bollocking to say no to her. However I think the cynical posting of ads today when her child was in surgery - from someone who regularly fake cries over blossom and flowers - has shown her true colours.

Sometimes the truth hurts. Hopefully someone in Stacey's circle will have the balls to tell her that she's gone too far with all this. But I don't think she'd listen even if they did. 🤷

Wow you’re really on the attack. Looks like a private ward to me, what difference does it make. She made her stay more comfortable. It’s hardly an act worthy of these vitriolic attacks,

I genuinely don't understand why anyone would bother judging themselves against these people. Surely their Instagram page are just a version of 'Hello' magazine but with the content written, and photos taken, by the sleb themselves? It's not an indication of real life in any way. I can't imagine living life as a brand, or caring what that brand does. It's all about them making money, as always.

They regularly show the messy or before pics. And often show when things are less than perfect i their lives. Also their passions are organising and home keeping and they get to do it for a living so of course their homes will be tidier than the average.

I agree with @Tlollj : "What a weird world we live in where people post photos and videos of themselves cleaning. Weirder still people watch them."

Is this Tattle life or mumsnet?