I was that child and, sadly, I am that parent now.

It was not hoarding per se, just general messiness; dust that piled up on shelves, a kitchen that wasn’t cleaned too regularly, containers with various clutter lying around everywhere. I wouldn’t be too surprised if my parents have ADHD or something like that but they have never been tested for anything.

I’m not claiming that I grew up in the worst, dirtiest home ever but as a child I quickly noticed that it was more messy than other kids’ homes. It definitely contributed to my anxieties and social isolation.

Today I’m not much better myself. There is always clutter lying around. Having three kids in a modestly-sized home requires a lot of cleanup and I simply don’t have the time and energy to get around to doing it all. My partner is always tired and my ADHD is also not making things better.

The result is that we always have piles of laundry lying around aimlessly, there’s usually something nasty fermenting in the kitchen sink and clutter accumulates seemingly by itself on all level surfaces.

I don’t like that it is this way and all the clutter is stressing me but I don’t know how to make it better.