Cluttered Kitchen Wholesome Life
Social media is full of pictures of white kitchens and clutter free countertops. These magazine perfect photos usually make me chuckle and wonder how on earth do they cook spaghetti sauce in such a white space? But seriously these kitchens although beautiful send a strong message to the next generation that is concerning to me.
What do you think of when you read the word “kitchen?” Do you picture a golden ambience, a generous grandmother stirring a pot, or steaming cookies stacked high on a platter? Now in reality what does your kitchen look like? Is it the hub of your household where many memories have been made? Or, is it an extra room in your home where the lights turn on at night just to reheat take out or pack lunch for tomorrow?
Being a 90’s baby I am certainly a product of the KonMari Movement. As a new wife and mother I read all the books on organization, I studied pins, implemented strategy and decluttered anything that didn’t bring me joy. When we first got married, Kelby and I purchased a tiny home (650 sq feet) and a lot of I that decluttering and organizing was necessary as we were combining two lives into one. That began the minimalist era of our life which was effective for the season.
As our family grew I realized that owning a few more kitchen gadgets could actually save me precious hours to spend with my family. I cook almost all our meals from scratch using raw fresh ingredients from our farm. This means things like a kitchen aid, Cuisinart and even pasta maker are staple tools in my kitchen. When you follow a whole food lifestyle you need to have a large variety of ingredients on hand and its often much cheaper to buy things in bulk. Thus my kitchen also contains hundreds of jars, tubs and canisters not to mention spices! Lets also normalize dirty dishes in our big farmhouse sink because we have plenty of those!
We strive to sit down together as a family for as many meals as possible. This time is so precious as we watch our children grow. The dinner table is a safe place for them to share whats on their brilliant little minds. It can also be a place of instruction. Teaching children to sit politely at a table is almost becoming a lost art in this world of fast food and “snack” meals. It makes me wonder if part of the issues children have with restlessness could be due to this lack of routine in the home, dare I suggest discipline. Now do not misunderstand me, you may be picturing our mealtime to be out of a Norman Rockwell painting and it is nothing of the sort. Our meal times can be chaotic and sometimes they do end with someone in tears. I allow my children to set the table and clear it (they are 5 and 7 so every once in awhile a dish does break). However, I’ve come to the conclusion that its important to allow these situations to happen so that we can instruct our children in the proper ways to behave and handle their emotions. Too many parents avoid difficult times with their children by placing a screen in front of their faces.
I have found that if we introduce responsibility and integrity to our children at even a young age they find fulfillment and joy in even the most mundane tasks.
In a world where self help books come out almost daily, the fast food line is backed up into bumper to bumper traffic let us all take a moment to reevaluate. What message are we sending the next generation? Are we satisfied chasing the American Corporate dream or can we too find fulfillment in the mundane. Can we choose to unplug just for a night and spend time with ones that we love around a table? Can we create memories that last long after we no longer walk this earth? Maybe this is all impossible thoughts from a crazy farmer’s wife but I dare to dream in a world that cherishes the little cluttered kitchens of times past.
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