Working together can help organize the chaos in the family
Why It's Good to Start the New Year with Some
I like to fold the clothes asbrsoon as they come out of the dryer. Nobodybrelse at my house shares this little affinity of mine.
My husband thinks a majorbrrule in life is to replace the cap on the tube of toothpaste after using it. I don’t think the caps’ whereabouts is thatbrbig of a deal.
Our dog either hates thebrvacuum cleaner and wants to kill it or he’s super terrified of it and tries tobruse reverse psychology by barking and frantically charging at it when we usebrit.
My daughter, an eighth grader,brhas a very eclectic outlook and philosophy regarding her bedroom and the way itbrlooks. I just haven’t been able to graspbror interpret it.
Welcome to a slice of my worldbras a working wife and mom. Often it’sbrpretty hectic. Rarely is it picturebrperfect.
I like to call it organizedbrchaos.
As we begin 2013 I pledge tobrremain keenly aware that each member of my family is an individual withbrdifferent likes and dislikes. As well,brwe all seem to have our little quirks and hang-ups. And that’s okay! It’s what makes us unique.
Truth be told…I’m the type whobrprefers a plan for everything. I’m thebrone who does the research and makes the itinerary for a trip before we everbrleave home and insists on a majority vote before any changes to it can be made.
Well maybe I added that lastbrpart for the effect.
But really…my closest friendsbralways say if I wasn’t a journalist I should definitely be an event planner orbra travel guide of some sort.
I simply feel better whenbrthere’s a clear outlook toward a goal and not some cloudy, leave it to chance orbrcircumstance kind of way.
However, I’m finding as Ibrmature (I like that term better than “age.”) I’m quite a bit more relaxed in mybrquest for the “prim and proper” way of life.
In fact, I’ve come to believebra little organized chaos is good for the mind, body and spirit! I’m learning to relax, let go and enjoy lifebrmore. There will always be schedules andbrrules to follow. So who really needs thebrmindset, “it has to be done this way or its wrong.”
Here’s an example. When Ibrwalk through the door after a long day at work…and the first thing I see is abrbig heap of unfolded clothes in the laundry room-- I could easily waste timebrbeing stressed or frustrated because that is indeed one of my pet peeves.
Instead… I’ve found a better waybrto approach it. I smile and say to mybrdaughter or my husband, ‘hey, let’s fold the laundry together and talk about what happened today at school or work.”
Sounds a lot better, huh? Trust me you can avoid some unnecessarybrtension with a little gesture like that one.
Now! As soon as somebody helpsbrme out with the battle over the toothpaste cap and the dog versus vacuumbrcleaner drama… I’m gonna be golden!!
Dionne Anglin is a TV news reporter with FOX 4 News. She, her husband, daughter and their rambunctious dog, a one-year old Vizsla, live in North Keller. Dionne is always looking for new ways to explore her North Tarrant County community… and that often includes the lure of new restaurants, shops and jogging at different parks—but also the quest for locating cozy spots to enjoy coffee and plain old people watching. Check out her blog to keep up with her adventures in maintaining a career and “mom-dom” with a unique sense of style at reportermom.com