Upstairs downstairs - Real Mum story on MoM

Do you live in a house with stairs?

I used to live in a house that I dubbed “the shoebox”. It was lovely and compact. Cleaning and tidying was easy as everything was in reach.
It was a great place to contain a baby but as time marched on, and it became increasingly difficult to contain all the “stuff” that a family require.
So, with mixed feelings, we left the shoebox and moved to a house with stairs.
We have lots of lovely space. It is possible, now, to contain the stuff that a family require.

Now about those stairs.
The stairs represent many things in the house.
A challenge for the baby who was learning to climb.
An obstacle when I am tired.
An exercise tool for when I am energetic.
A division between the sleeping and living areas.
A split between public and private area.
Something to vacuum with the hand-held Dyson.

You always have to be organised with two levels. You either own two of certain items like a vacuum cleaner, cleaning products. Or you lug items up and down stairs. I am constantly bringing something up or down. It is rare to use the stairs empty handed.

Sometimes I miss the shoebox. Only sometimes.

Posted anonymously, 26th April 2015

4 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 24 Sep 2015
    6:26 pm
Ohhhh, I would miss that shoebox too. But your new home sounds lovely also. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time there just as much

- - mom57522 said
  - 02 Jun 2015
    8:54 pm
The shoe box sounds compact!

- - mom94125 said
  - 01 Jun 2015
    3:20 pm
i just have a one level home

- - mom90758 said
  - 27 Apr 2015
    10:47 am
The shoebox! What a lovely name!
I live in a one-floor house now. But in the past I’ve lived in houses with two floors and even in two townhouses with three floors. The cleaning was indeed a little different at that time, but I loved the fact of living on different floors. It gave more privacy to everyone. And more challenges to the kids learning to walk and climb!