What's Mother Taught You About Making a House?

Many of us have learned valuable life skills from our moms. From day one Mother taught us how to take care of ourselves. From feeding us to instructing us how to cook ; from cleaning up after us to creating us clean in our own; from repairing our broken messes into instructing us to fix ourselves, moms have helped us to have our very own houses.

For this Mother’s Day, please tell us what particular thing — large or small — your mom taught you about making a more welcoming, practical home. Post a photo if you can. Your comment may end up in an upcoming showcased ideabook.

Here is my own mother, Carrie, with my sister, Emily, and me.

My mother had me and my three siblings throwing on housework back when the broom was taller than I was. Although we complained bitterly at the time, I’m so grateful to her for stoking my affection for a neat and clean household — especially her handy tip of crossing dust from hardwood flooring onto the carpeting and vacuuming everything up in one fell swoop — and helping me find the sweet pride in a clean house.

Rain or shine, the answer to “I am tired” in my childhood house was, “Go outside and play” Mother believed in clean air, sun and playing living things — and I owe my love of nature, gardening and being outdoors to her continuous prodding. Oh, yes, you will find many Saturdays spent weeding, moving stones and planting flowers — and yes, I hated it. But now I would kill for a garden to muck around in.

Both gardeners in this picture are not related to me, but it seems we all share a love of nature.

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Obviously, sometimes our mothers teach us what not to do, and we can be grateful for this, also. Hey, nobody’s ideal, and a few of us may owe a specific strength to a mother’s minor flaws.

My mother are the first to admit that fixing things — jiggly doorknobs, clogged toilets and broken dishwashers — isn’t her forte. OK, it is not my forte either, but the fact that both of my little brothers are whizzes using a hammer and a screwdriver helps compensate for it.

Inform us What has your mom taught you to do at home? How has she helped you to make your property what it is today? See a picture of your mother and we’d love to hear your story and you in the home.

More: Time Travel into ers’ Childhood Homes

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