INSTAGRAM – Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy….

I was sent a photo the other day of my friend’s daughter’s bedroom. This was to show the comparison between that and a sparkling Instagram photo of a different child’s room. It was solidarity in motherhood and I loved it.

Both were great. One room beautifully designed and immaculate. The other looked like a room where many great adventures had been created in a child’s mind. Craft activities, dress ups, props etc. I loved it. It made me feel better. It made me feel better, because it resembled exactly how my kids’ rooms look too.

The irony is though, when looking at my friend’s photo I thought “That’s awesome, look how much fun she’s having” I look at my child’s room and think “why can I not keep this house tidy?”

I love Instagram. I love the way it helps small businesses grow. I love that it is not filled with politics and opinions in quite the same way Facebook can be. BUT, and I can not emphasise the BUT enough… It has the ability to take me from feeling like a functioning adult doing a reasonable job at life, into a complete failure who has a home that does not always look sparkling and new, children’s toys that are rarely put away neatly and I am yet to see a photo of a home with clothes airers everywhere like my house currently has.

So here is the thing I am suggesting. Surely, these homes do not look like this constantly. Behind every beautifully orchestrated picture, there must be washing that needs to be done or dishes yet to be put away. Or Lego pieces everywhere. So. Much. Lego. Let’s try seeing Instagram for what it is. A place where beautiful photos can be shared. This is not to be critical of those sharing the photos, I love looking at them, but I need to remember they are just that. A captured moment in time.

It doesn’t mean that if my house is not sparkling and clean, or that my children continue to turn their rooms in to forts for the dog to sleep in that it isn’t ok. It is ok. Our homes are meant to be our sanctuary. So fill your home with what makes you happy and own it. We aren’t all meant to be the same. Life would be boring if we were.

I will try and take my own advice, let’s see how I go.