This mom’s hilarious cleaning guide is going viral

All parents know that cleaning is an uphill battle, especially when you have little kids. Most days it feels like you’re just picking up the same toys over and over again…and somehow, despite all your hard work, it still looks messy!

That’s why mom and blogger Meredith Ethington just shared this funny, honest “Cleaning Guide” for parents everywhere:

Ethington believes that being frank about our struggles as parents is important, and she says that she is on “A quest to stop trying to be the perfect mother, and just be the mother I was always meant to be.”

Her candor is not just hilarious, it is also really needed. The more parents (especially moms) can talk about the battles we face every day, the more connected and supported we all will feel.

However, it does leave out one VERY important thing: All the hard-working dads out there that also take care of the house and the kids. There has been an increase in stay-at-home dads in the last several years, but sadly, there still isn’t a lot of representation of these dads in the media. (Although thankfully, companies like Tide, Angel Soft and Swiffer have started to feature commercials where a Dad takes an active role in caring for his child and keeping their house clean.)

https://youtu.be/WBpTAkveaOA

Of course, the reality is that working moms still do take on the lion’s share of household chores. Studies show that mothers (even those with jobs outside of the home) still do the bulk of the household chores, and that they are twice as likely to handle the cooking. No wonder research shows that men get 3 more hours of leisure time per week than women.

So, along with being honest about our struggles as parents, we should also try to set a better example for coming generations. Our boys need to participate in the household chores as much as our girls do (one recent study shows that girls spend 40 percent more of their free time on chores than boys do). Families should work together to carry the load of keeping a clean (or a sort-of-clean, clean-enough-anyway) house.

What do you think? Who does all the cleaning in your house?

[h/t: Good Housekeeping]