Sassy Sisters, Messy Rooms & Mom Sanity

“That’s my toy!”

“Give it back!”

“I don’t want you for a sister anymore!”

Those are just a few of the daily catchphrases I hear from my sassy girls. Since summer break started, my house has sounded more like a WWE arena than a peaceful family home. And yes, sometimes they go full-on MMA — mostly for fun — but let’s be real: someone always ends up crying. (I always warn them: “Someone’s gonna get hurt… please stop.” Do they listen? Nope. Do I end up being right? Every. Single. Time.)

Right now, the girls share a room — and if you’ve read my postpartum purging post, you know we’re working on finishing the basement so they can each have their own space. Until then, it’s a clean room one minute and a hurricane named Lenoxx & Novah the next. I swear, no survivors.

People love to say, “Just make them clean it. Teach them responsibility.” Trust me, I try. I really do. But nine times out of ten it ends in a fight that makes the mess ten times worse. And yes, I hear it from my mom all the time: “Make them do it.” Honestly? Sometimes it’s just easier if I swoop in, clean it myself, and secretly toss out the random bits of junk they’d otherwise hoard forever.

Am I spoiling them? Nope. I’m just saving my sanity. Sure, I know if I keep cleaning up after them, they’ll expect me to always do it. And yes, I’m okay with that — because at the end of the day, my kids are my responsibility, not anyone else’s.

I’ll continue to clean up after them, do their laundry, cook their meals, and be the best mom I can be. The day will come when they’ll need to learn to cook, clean, and survive laundry day. But for now? I want them to just be kids.

They still have chores, of course, but I’m not a drill sergeant. If they try, that’s good enough for me. And with school starting again tomorrow, maybe — just maybe — routine and structure will help my little sass queens tackle their responsibilities without me losing my voice yelling.

Until then… pass the coffee.