Cleaning is Like Eating a Salad
I picked my daughter up from school the other day, and as we chatted on the way home, I told her I had been cleaning all day but still wasn’t finished. She remarked that cleaning was like eating a salad. Immediately, I got the reference and decided she may just be one of the most clever people I know. When I eat a salad, I feel like I have been eating forever but don’t make a dent in it. So it is with cleaning. Before you know it, you’ve either been sucked down some rabbit hole and spend forever in one room or end up in another room working furiously!
Here are 5 ways cleaning is like eating a salad:
- The more time we invest in cleaning, the more we realize we need to do. The to-do list seems to grow exponentially as we notice a cobweb here and there, dust on the ceiling fans, fingerprints on doors, an odor in a trash can, etc. When I eat a salad, I never think it will take that long, however, I find myself eating for what seems like an eternity and find that the bowl still looks pretty full. (Maybe I’m an optimist seeing my salad bowl as full!)
- Cleaning is probably not high on anyone’s list of “Great Ways to Spend the Day,” and neither is putting forth the effort to slice and dice everything for a salad (or effort to drive to Salata and have to pick out the items off the salad bar). The effort we put in to things like cleaning and eating healthy pay out great dividends.
- Investing the time in cleaning and eating a salad may not seem worth it, but in the end, we are better off than we were. Having a tidy and organized space can really improve our mental health by reducing stress. Eating a salad can improve our physical health because salads are full of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and more. Taking care of our mental and physical health makes us feel good and puts us in the optimal position to help take care of other people like our families.
- Demonstrating the good habits of taking care of our homes and our health guides our youngsters to make choices that positively improve their lives. Children learn from watching us and modeling our behavior. Clean up after yourself and eat your veggies! You never know who’s watching!
- Cleaning and preparing salads can be great ways for the family to come together. I have memories of my dad cranking up the stereo playing The Doors or Led Zeppelin while we danced around and cleaned. My parents made cleaning time family time and instilled a responsibility in us to take care of our environment. I try getting the kids involved in meal prep and cooking (and we do sometimes have kitchen dance parties) to help them learn the valuable skill of nourishing their bodies with healthy choices.
My children constantly point out that I can turn anything into a Life Lesson, buy that point is usually made with eye rolls from them. Comparing cleaning to eating a salad is no different, but it was my daughter who taught me this life lesson. I guess the student has become the teacher! Go make a salad and remember to clean up after yourselves!
Comment on your cleaning-salad comparisons!
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