In the Middle Ages, scientists seriously believed that mice and cockroaches spontaneously generated from dirt. No, in fact, many scientific papers have been devoted to this "theory." Today, centuries later, many people seriously believe that dirt spontaneously generates... no, not mice, but diseases. Is this true? Well, let’s find out together.
So, today we bring you a story from the user u/OkOriginal4583, a mother of two, whose best friend constantly reproaches her for the "dirtiness" of the house and recently even claimed that a messy home is the source of her kids’ illnesses. Well, let's just cut to the chase here.
More info: Reddit
Spotless home is a true homeowner's delight but let's be honest - nobody's perfect
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author of the post is a mom of 2 and her bestie has a 5YO kid as well so their children are also friends
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The friend used to criticize the author for being "sloppy" and urged her to devote more time to chores
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Image credits: peoplecreations / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Recently the bestie even claimed that the author's "dirty" home is the main reason why her kids are "always sick"
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Well, the author strongly disagreed with her and it all ended with a spat between them
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
The mom even added some photos of her home in an update, swearing that she does a deep cleaning at least once a week
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Image credits: bearfotos / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The toddlers are for sure the ones who make the most of the mess, but the author sometimes is too exhausted to control everything
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
So the woman actually took the bestie's words personally and is now in two minds on what to do
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
According to the author's words, the friend often criticizes her not knowing about the details of her life
Image credits: OkOriginal4583
So the mom took this online to vent about and to receive some support and advice as well
The Original poster (OP) says she has two children, boys aged 4 and 2, and her best friend is the mother of a 5-year-old girl, the OP's oldest son's friend. Apparently, her bestie status gives this lady some moral right to constantly criticize the author - and the subject of this criticism is most often her home.
Yes, the author's home isn't exactly a paragon of cleanliness, but considering she and her husband have been through tough times and are sometimes quite tight on money, this can be explained. The youngest kid can sometimes do his number two straight on the carpet or furniture - but the author swears she cleans up after him right away.
Then, recently, a friend unleashed another barrage of criticism on our heroine, claiming that her "dirty" home is the reason her children are constantly sick. According to the mom, the kids certainly get sick - but no more often than other children in the neighborhood. The OP took it for an accusation of being a bad mom, and it all ended with a fight.
Moreover, a couple of days later, having received many angry comments from netizens, our heroine posted photos of her house in an update and wrote that she does a deep cleaning about once a week. Yes, sometimes an exhausted mom can have a hard time keeping up with messy kids (and almost all toddlers are real masters at mess), but does that actually make her a bad mom?
Image credits: OkOriginal4583 / Reddit
So what do science and medicine tell us? On the one hand, yes, modern research confirms that a messy house could actually cause health issues, especially among young children. For example, the authors of this study from the Ohio State University concluded that these problems are interconnected.
"Kindergarten-age children have poorer health if their home life is marked by disorder, noise, and a lack of routine," the related article on the university website claims. On the other hand, British researchers argue that the pervasive desire for cleanliness among modern homeowners causes a significantly higher rate of allergies in people than before.
Netizens' opinions on this story were also very divided. Some folks, comparing photos of the original poster's home with what they see in other people's homes (and their own, let's be honest, nobody's perfect), sincerely noted that our heroine is right and that she shouldn't be accused of neglecting her own children's health.
Others, however, believe that's precisely what best friends are for - to give you a friendly nudge in a difficult moment, steer you in the right direction. "She sounds like a real friend if she's willing to have a hard conversation like this with you," someone wrote in the comments. So which viewpoint do you, our dear readers, favor? Please feel free to share your thoughts below.
The netizens were very divided as some people agreed with the author but some admitted that this case is actually what besties are for
