An immaculate house while doing childcare?

[Inspired by Reggio]

Ya ~ I have had clients actually say this to me 'how do you keep the house so immaculate' and I look around and think WTF it looks like a bomb hit it .... immaculate in relations to a house that has never had a child walk through and one that has a full of kids may require two different definitions

My house is always 'tidy' at the beginning and end of the day because I HATE clutter ~ everything in my playroom has a labelled home and I teach the children to pick up after themselves as the day goes along. I clean up after messes as they happen and so forth as best they can but for ME I can always see the crumb I missed or the fingerprint smudge of paint on the wall or the play doh clump in my foyer carpet and so forth but CLIENTS the fact that the wall is not fingerpainted entirely or the play doh is not in my couches and the house is not strewn with toys to trip over it is 'immaculate'!

They expect our house to look like this

[sunnydays]

Please tell you that you did not actually let the kids do this inside your house?! I used to have a pretty spotless house before I had my 2nd and 3rd kids...and then add the daycare...although I have to say that the daycare kids make far less mess than my own kids because they are contained to certian areas (playroom, kitchen) whereas my kids are all over the place. I know that as my kids get older, the old spotless house will return somewhat as it gets easier. Until then, I tell myself it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Ya ~ I have had clients actually say this to me 'how do you keep the house so immaculate' and I look around and think WTF it looks like a bomb hit it .... immaculate in relations to a house that has never had a child walk through and one that has a full of kids may require two different definitions

My house is always 'tidy' at the beginning and end of the day because I HATE clutter ~ everything in my playroom has a labelled home and I teach the children to pick up after themselves as the day goes along. I clean up after messes as they happen and so forth as best they can but for ME I can always see the crumb I missed or the fingerprint smudge of paint on the wall or the play doh clump in my foyer carpet and so forth but CLIENTS the fact that the wall is not fingerpainted entirely or the play doh is not in my couches and the house is not strewn with toys to trip over it is 'immaculate'!

They expect our house to look like this

[Inspired by Reggio]

Please tell you that you did not actually let the kids do this inside your house?!....

LMAO ~ good lord no I am all about following kids lead but not if it is leading to THAT

That is some photo of the Internet that makes it rounds in email jokes and other things about 'life with kids' not sure who the poor parent or caregiver was or where it originated from!