Cleaning Icon Marie Kondo Has 'Given Up' On Cleaning After Having 3 Kids!

Marie Kondo is no longer Marie Kondo-ing it!

For those who don’t know, the lifestyle guru – who created the KonMari method for organizing and cleaning – rose to prominence when her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, hit the US bookshelves in 2014. Her popularity further increased following the release of her two Netflix series, where she promoted the “tidy house, tidy mind” mindset and inspired many people to hold onto possessions that only sparked joy in their lives. But hold onto your seats, Perezcious readers! Because while Marie has long been the queen of decluttering for a longtime, she is putting away her crown and loosening up on her rules!

In her upcoming book Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life, shared that she is no longer tidying up as much. Why is that? Well, kids! After welcoming her third child in 2021 with her husband Takumi Kawahara, she has realized life has become too busy with three children to keep a tidy space all the time. As she put it during a recent event, per The Washington Post:

“Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home.”

Marie added:

“My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life.”

So understandable and relatable! Her new book is focusing on the Japanese concept of kurashi – which roughly translates to “way of life” or “the ideal way of spending our time.” While Marie is still preaching to choose things that “spark joy,” it is less about ditching the possessions that are cluttering your home — but instead about removing what’s unnecessarily cluttering up your time. She writes on the kurashi section of her website:

“The true purpose of tidying is not to cut down on your possessions or declutter your space. The ultimate goal is to spark joy every day and lead a joyful life.”

The 38-year-old author adds in her book:

“Tidying up means dealing with all the ‘things’ in your life. So, what do you really want to put in order?

When it comes to Marie’s day-to-day, she shared that although she loves her work, “sometimes I pack my schedule so tightly I feel frazzled or am overcome with anxiety.” To solve that? The momma said she makes sure to drink tea three times a day, and she and her hubby always focuses on spending quality time with their children.

Basically, it sounds like Marie realized that a perfectly organized home 24/7 is not realistic for her life (or the majority of people). Nothing wrong with priorities and lifestyles changing – and we love that Marie is acknowledging that fact! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below!

[Image via Marie Kondo/Instagram /YouTube]