Is everyone's kitchen as hectic as mine? (Photo)

[harlacem0507]

A little bit outing but I wanted to know if people can relate to this hectic kitchen of mine! It gets cleaned and tidied every day but most things I can't seem to store anywhere as have very little storage in my house, but honestly, does this kitchen seem 'normal' or very unorganized, messy, chaotic etc? Because I'm not sure if I'm being overly critical to myself for having a kitchen like this or I do in fact need to seriously organise it better! (The white blob is my son!) For context I have a husband and 3 children aged 13, 7 and 15 months and work part time.

Yeah I just use an extra large BBQ cover to throw over all our bikes, but if the OP is only covering one bike then a cheap cover for a smaller item would do. You can easily get a bike cover for under £10.

I hate mess but I also hate cleaning and tidying so have this almost constant mental war in my head about all the things that need doing v all the things I want to do. That picture made me feel a bit tense but i can really understand how things get like that when you have a full life. I tend to do the "little and often" stuff and limit it to 10 or 15 minute blasts. I have a race against myself and see how much I can accomplish in that time frame and if I am still feeling energised and enthusiastic at the end of my time limit I carry on.

Still think you should keep the bike in the garden with a cover over it. Ludicrous to keep it an already crowded kitchen.

Dryers can go on top of washing machines or in sheds. Even a deep cupboard.

That would drive me mental too you must have so much washing with 3 kids.

I think the op is so weighed down just now that she can’t see the wood for the trees. It’s not excuses.

Op 6 in our family (4kids me and dh), we both work and yes on a busy day this would look like us (bar the bike!) except it’s actually cleaner than our kitchen- yours if you tidied you’re there, I’d need to mop and wipe more than you. Life goal is to get a cleaner in for a few hours before Easter holidays (when visitors come)

I like your honesty. No BS excuses, just accepting it as it is.

I think your DH could get his arse up and help a bit. A broken collar cone won’t stop him putting shit in the bin.

Ps I have friends who would faint at either yours or my kitchen when even half that messy, some have no kids some have as many as me🙈

We have a small galley kitchen so has to stay tidy. We're making our dining room a kitchen diner this year so will have more storage

Can you fit a bike store next to the back door? Then it isn't so far to go for it.

Ah yes that would stress me the fuck out. We’re a similar sized family with too many dogs and I’m in a constant state of stress about the house. I go to bed panicking & planning what I have to do the next morning before the school run to keep it at an acceptable level.
Im envious of people who can live in, relative, chaos.

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Bike storage

I see a big kitchen that's been cooked in and children fed from. A bike that a child is lucky to have. It's got lovely tiles and cabinets and just needs a clean - like everyone's kitchen does after cooking a meal.

All normal and alot of people would even say you are blessed/ privileged to have a lovely large kitchen to cook meals in for a family.

That's not a kitchen I would feel relaxed or happy about but each to their own. For me everything needs a place and the clutter on the side would make me anxious.

I’m not saying I don’t understand why she is thinking like this, we’ve all been there, but it should help to show that what she thinks of as blockers are things that are easily overcome. She just needs a nudge (which she asked for) to get out of that mindset.

Could you move the table out a bit and the bike can be wheeled behind so it's less.of a hazard and less visible? And get some cheap low shelving units or drawers for junk.

Your table is cluttered because you let your children eat at a pointless breakfast bar. If they had to use the table to eat, that would be an incentive to keep it clear. By creating too many eating options you are creating mess.

No way - that kitchen would drive me crazy

It looks like a busy family home which is probably replicated many times the world over.
No my kitchen doesn’t look like this because I would feel really stressed with all the mess but either tidy it up or just chill out about it!

I've never seen a kitchen look like that!

Stop being lazy and go clean your house. If you can’t even sit at the table and eat because it’s so cluttered with crap there is something wrong. It’s not a home to relax and enjoy.

It does look pretty messy tbh but also the sort of messy where it could be tidied up easily in about half an hour.

I think the worst thing is the bike in the kitchen. What about keeping it in the hallway instead?

That would drive me mad. Ours looks a mess just after we've cooked, especially if we have people for dinner. No way would I have all that in my kitchen and leave all that mess, butter uncovered and a cat isn't doing it for me. Is it like that all the time or is that a bad day?

Your kitchen made me smile. Signs of life, love and family all over the place. Much nicer than one of those sterile, hard, shiny serial killer kitchens.

Would drive me potty OP.
How can you clean floors and surfaces with so much stuff piled up?
Living like that would make me feel stressed.

If it works for you OP then that's great.

It isn't either or though.

There is a happy medium