We live in a messy house, with laundry on the floor, cluttered closets, and dishes in the sink (I'm not a very good house-keeper). Our house does NOT look like Martha Stewart Living Magazine.
Why is it, that, when people come over, we feel the need to pretend we live in such a way that................ there is never a stink we can't find the source of? Why do we clear the piles of projects and mail off the counter tops when someone visits?
Last week, as Nate and I were running around trying to clean up for the babysitter, I couldn't help but say,......."This is ridiculous!....Do you think other people do this??"
Nate's answer surprised and intrigued me. He said "Yes, I think everybody does......and No, I don't think it's ridiculous. Have you ever heard of The Broken Window Theory?"
"The what?"
Then Nate proceeded to tell me about a book he's reading, The Tipping Point by, Malcom Gladwell.
I have not read the book, but from what I understand, The Broken Window Theory stems from a study in New York. They found, that if a broken window was not fixed, more bad things happened in the neighborhood (graffiti, crime.....stuff like that). It was as if the criminal's thought.......Well,....They don't care about this neighborhood anyway.
This relates to cleaning for the babysitter. Even just picking up a little shows her that we care about our house and our kids. Maybe......even if it's subconscious....she'll do just a little bit more.
Thanks Nate......now, I get it. We live in a messy house, but our hearts are pure. We care about our kids...and our house...We need to show her that we do.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
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4 comments:
Hah! Everytime one of us comes home and the house is clean we both ask, "Are we having someone over?" That is too funny!
I too agree with the Broken Window Theory! And, I normally always clean up before having company. Close friends can see anything but...not everyone! Sometimes it takes me months to find that strategically hidden pile of "things" I stuck somewhere...
You are one smart wife, mom, friend! Keep up the good work!
What a neat insight that is! I keep house very similarly to how you do I think, but whenever company is expected I whirl around like mad trying to make everything spic and span. I've even been known to, ahem, shove dirty dishes in the oven or piles of misc junk into the hall closet. My husband has observed plaintively "Can't it look like we live here at least?"
I'm so good at hiding my messes I've actually made other women feel inadequate. In those cases, I always allow them to peek into the oven or, sometimes, even under the kitchen sink.
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