My "Lived In" Home

If you came in my home, you would see the dining room on the right.  But, you will not see a beautiful dining room table with a centerpiece all beautiful and decorated perfectly.  You will see "Nathan's table."  It usually looks something like this:

It usually has a couple of puzzles on it, some word dice, a book of word puzzles, a CD or two that has a book to go with it, a squishy stress ball and any other thing that he might find interesting.  (Like the Disneyland bag that he LOVES that is front and center.)  Nathan (age 15 with autism) knows he can spread out his things all over this table and has been doing it for years.

In other words, your first impression of our home would be that it looks lived in.  Obviously I'm okay with that or I wouldn't be showing it to you:).  Sometimes I think we average folk look at these fancy home decorating magazines and think that our homes have to look like that every day, all day long. I think having kids smothered the perfectionist in me, and I have come to realize that my house isn't going to look magazine perfect today, tomorrow or maybe until we have to move again someday (and I HATE having to keep my home nice enough to show.)  

I'd rather have a card game by the kitchen table on the floor showing that is what we played last night after dinner.  I'd rather have my living room strewn with books and magazines because it shows my kids were reading.  And my living room pillows never seem to stay on the couch the way they are supposed to.  Oh well. 

Don't get me wrong by thinking we never clean.  We do.  My kid's least favorite word is chores (and probably homework).  So, if you have ever worried that your house isn't picture perfect, just remember the picture from my house and cut yourself some slack.  There will be days for perfect houses someday, but for today choose be happy with "lived in."

#livedinhome #normalformemom #autism #livingwithkids