To have chosen to stay home and tidy rather than go for a family walk?

[MsWalterMitty]

Gosh, just writing that down I think I’m a bit pathetic!

I’ma teacher and have been off work with kids for the whole summer. (11 & 7). My dh has been working the whole time. Yesterday he started his 2 week annual leave.

It’s sunny, we live in a nice rural tourist area with lots of free outdoor activities on our doorstep. Our house is a tip from just the General summer hols.

I have chosen to stay in and Blitz house whilst dh has gone for a nice walk with the kids.

What is wrong with me?! Life’s too short for housework surely?

Sounds ok, hope you told DH to for a nice long walk with the DC, you don’t want them back in an hour

Actually no, having a messy/untidy house can impact on your mental well being so having a 1-2 hour blitz is quite beneficial because you got stuff done easing the mental load. When there's no one else in the house, you can blitz through, music on singing badly and no one to get in your way, disturb you, ask for a snack, it's great!

This is me, I'm spending far too much time on MN recently then complain I have 'no time'!!! So naughty!!

My last comment was in response to @isthisareverse

Hope you reward yourself with a quiet cuppa and biscuit too.

@Ipanemama

Sounds perfect. Beneficial to everyone to have time away from dc.

Go for an evening walk later on your own. Make the most of the light evenings before they go.

Great idea!!

@AlbertBridge

I can 100% relate to this. I can't relax when the house goes beyond a certain point. I'd have chosen blitzing rather than walking too.

And probably gave made some scones for when everyone comes back, thus messing up the kitchen again..

Great idea too! 👍

Just don’t do it all the time. My DM and DmIL were houseproud to the detriment of family time

Cleaning is much easier with no one in. Just try to get it done so you can enjoy some of your OH's time off with him (and the kids).

It can be very satisfying to have a big clean through, even doing crappy stuff, if everyone is out of the way, You will be happy to see the results afterwards. that's until it all gets messed up at some later date. or nobody can find their stuff now and starts complaining.

YA absolutely NBU.

I can think of nothing less relaxing than a long walk followed by a return to a tip of a house.

Also, some people recharge their own batteries in solitude. Family life with young children can be hard on an introvert

YANBU I used to love doing this. Lots of housework done in peace! Mine are now at Uni so the house stays tidier for longer!

Oh no I love it

@mathanxiety

YA absolutely NBU.

I can think of nothing less relaxing than a long walk followed by a return to a tip of a house.

Yeah, that would have been awful!

@mathanxiety

Also, some people recharge their own batteries in solitude. Family life with young children can be hard on an introvert

It is actually really tough sometimes. Also tough living with another introvert who gets regular forced time alone but doesn’t see it as needed so wonders why I want time alone too!!

No absolutely not unreasonable, it sends me over the edge when the house turns into a tip. Of course you need some time out to get yourself organised and the house tidied. It sounds perfect to me! No kids, no noise and a pristine house to relax in afterwards.

I can't do the constant need to be doing something memorable for the solid holidays. I get extremely tired and exhausted and need some days at home for grounding and keeping on top of things.

It's definitely the being alone that would attract me to tidy rather than walk. I need peace to recharge and would be struggling by now.

I applaud you! I spent the day out with the kids and my house is a bomb site, it's nasty. Tomorrow we are staying in all day so I can tidy and catch up with chores!

I had the house to myself yesterday morning. It was lovely going a bit of housework and it not being messed up by anyone before I even went in the same room again.

It's easier when people are out the way

@mathanxiety

Also, some people recharge their own batteries in solitude. Family life with young children can be hard on an introvert

Definitely. I used to have a working pattern of 9 long days and one day per fortnight off while still being full time. My ex had a different weekday off as he worked part of the weekends. He eventually changed his off day to match my one day "so we could spend time together". AKA, drag me along to do what he wanted to do in the mornings while the afternoons were full of his expectations of sex, because the DC would be at school.

That one day was my only time alone. I'd use it to get stuff done, and then sit in the house alone to recharge, eg by reading. I really, really need to recharge alone. So I changed what I did and flat out told my ex I was still doing my own thing on my days off. We did, after all, have other time together, and part of the weekends for family time.

And yes, I too sent my ex out with the DC sometimes, to get me peace and quiet to tidy, etc.

I utterly loath and despise cleaning - and yet even I'm looking forward to next Thursday, when for the first time in 18 months the DC will be back at school and DH will (finally!!) be back in the office, and I can properly blitz the house without any of them getting under my feet.

No way are you BU. I love it!

I frequently sack off family walks to clean. It's like therapy!

I'd do it too - everybody out, all windows open, all toilets bleached with no flushing and my music booming out. I'd find it relaxing and therapeutic - but I can't stand mess. Bonus points for coming across stuff that can be donated to charity shops - more space!

Plenty of days to walk out still left.