There were a number of times when I crawled into bed and discovered unexpected things tugged under my blanket or found hard objects poking my back or legs. This has happened so many times that without further thoughts, I would have immediately guessed the “culprit”. With so many lessons learned, I should have expected hidden toys, stationery items or any other children stuff there and check before I lie down but somehow the exhaustion always seems to overwhelm me….

My two boys really have much “NOT in common”. Brendan tends to keep his things after use and hardly misplaces his stuff at home although he also has the tendency to dislike anyone else meddling with his favourite stuff especially his books, games and bed.  Darren picks up from his elder brother quickly on being “particular” over people touching his games but strangely does not learn from his elder brother the good aspect of being tidy.  One may wonder how in a confined home with four walls, how Darren can often lose his beloved stuff too like his Nintendo Game DS. Thanks to Brendan, these things are eventually found after mysteriously missing for a long while, although there are some that we declare permanently LOST AT HOME.

This might be the bad attribute of having a domestic helper at home because in a way my boys tend to get over reliant on her to do things that they are supposed to perform on their own.  There are times that I wish I could do without domestic help so that the boys could ultimately learn to be more independent and self-help but that housework load, in addition to a busy career, two demanding boys, countless family errands, and a long-distance spouse would definitely drain me out….although it is a good opportunity to stay slim and fit.  It might seem that I am trying to give excuses for not being a 100marks housewife (since I don’t do household chores or cooking) but the fact is that it is definitely not easy to be a SUPERMUM. I recalled those days when I had no domestic help and OMG! I had to wake up at 4.30am each day doing all household chores before I could go to work and each late night was again more household chores, kids’ coaching and then sleep and the cycle continued. To admit, I didn’t enjoy a bit of it.

Now, each time when I tumble on unkept and untidy things left behind by the boys, I will make sure they pack them and return them to where they belong. I always emphasize that if everyone in the family does their part to keep the house tidy, then life will be more pleasant for everyone.

One day my domestic helper will have to leave us and the last thing I want is for my boys to get lost over not knowing how to be independent to perform simple tasks on their own or worse, unconsciously treating their mummy as a maid. Good habits should start early, shouldn’t they?

Mess, Messy, Messssssy