I am constantly being told by my DH and MIL (who live in granny flat and shares storage areas ARGH!) that I am OCD.
I am a neat person and a minimalist by nature but they like to pick up stuff off the street that people have discarded for bi-annual council clean up, in case it might come in useful.
Our latest issue has involved DH daughter (my step daughter, 11yo) making a 'fairy house' on the front lawn and being allowed to leave the plasic containers and camp chairs on the lawn for the last few weeks (even though she visits once a fortnight). I have become so tetchy about it, that i have chosen not to go outside if i can help it just so i don't have to see it. I am so embarrassed about what the neighbors must think that we have rubbish on the front lawn. When I asked them to get her to clean it up at the end of the weekend, I was told one of them would do it - but they didn't. The next fortnight I tried politely asking her to pick up her playthings from the front lawn before she goes home to her mommy's house, to which she replied, "i'll use it next weekend and nan said i could leave it there" at which point I had to leave her company before I said anything I would regret and do some vigorous cleaning somewhere else to vent my frustration. On the following weekend I talked to MIL and said "We're going to have to work out a way we can live together without me going crazy, because that mess on the front lawn has to go - its distressing for me to have mess lying around" to which she replied "its not hurting anyone being there - you are just being a b!t*h, don't you want her to be allowed to play on the lawn? If its such a problem for you, why don't you move out!" I don't mind if she plays there with empty yoghurt and egg cartons, but I don't see why it should be there for months and months at a time when she isn't even here...
Does anyone else have problems like this in their home? Am I being OCD? I actually get fidgetty, pannicky and difficulty breathing when i see this kind of mess! I don't have a spotless picture perfect home (far from it, I also have a 3yo and 1yo) but i manage to keep things tidy to a point where I am not overwhelmed or depressed and have taught, am teaching my children to help me by picking up after themselves where appropriate.
Any ideas? I don't think I should have to clean up everyones mess, but I can't stand it - and I'm sure it will only cause arguments (and a messy social life affects me the same way a visually messy house does).
