Clean House?

A male FB friend posted this a few days ago: If your house is dirty don't blame your kids. I know women with multiple kids, a husband that doesn't help pick up, all sorts of animals, in a full time job and they keep a spotless home. If your house isnt very clean that's because it's not that important to you, guess what that's okay just don't blame someone else.

Now I know (or I hope) this wasn't directed personally at me, but rather a general statement, but I still took offense to it. Firstly, my house isn't spotless but it's not a pigsty either. Secondly, I do blame my kids and my husband. I'm sorry but there are four of us that live here; therefore, four of us should claim responsibility when the house is messy. I don't remember my marriage vows saying "to love, honor, cherish and pick up after because you don't think you should have to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher or your dirty clothese in the hamper." And I'm certainly not going to teach my children that it's okay to take out every single toy, book or article of clothing you have and not clean it up afterwards. I have been known, especially lately, since the kids are getting older, to let the dirty clothes lay where they've been tossed. The other day my son came to me and said "I don't have any clean socks." "Gee, dear," I responded, "the laundry is all done, folded and your clean clothes placed on your bed for you to put away." "I checked there already. I don't have any!" "Really? That's strange. Did you check under your bed, the sofa, tucked in the cushions, or just laying on the living room floor?" "But you said you did the laundry?" "I did. I took all the laundry out of the hampers and sorted them, washed them, dried them, folded them, and put them on everyone's beds to put away. Do you think it's fair that I would also have to make sure that everyone else put their clothes in their hampers, especially when it's not my own clothes?" "No, mom." So yes - I do blame my family at least partially for the condition the house is in sometimes. Thirdly, I do realize that there are women out there that don't work and their homes are so dirty I wouldn't step foot in them, but I don't agree with the comment that it's not important to me. There are priorities, especially when you do work full-time and have kids; sometimes housework takes a lower priority. That does not in any way mean having a clean house isn't important to me, just at that moment it's not as important as helping my kids do their homework, or making sure that contract gets out that my husband needs done, or that the bills get paid and the checkbook balanced. Finally, and probably the thing that offended me the most, was the person that made the comment. It really ticks me off when someone that has never, ever lived anything close to my life - working full-time, kids running in all different directions, and a spouse that's equally busy - makes such a generalization. If there is such a women out there that works full-time, manages kids, a spouse, and a house full of animals, and her house is spotless (without any outside help - which includes another family member, nanny, mothers-helper, etc!), then I will think I died and went to heaven.