Marie Kondo says even she can't keep the house tidy with 3 kids. Moms had a mixed reaction.

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• Marie Kondo says that her life is messier with three kids.
• Right now, she's focused on "sparking joy" by choosing where to spend her time.
• Some moms say her evolution makes sense, but at least one was a bit disappointed.

Marie Kondo, whose name has become synonymous with tidying, clearing clutter, and "sparking joy," has admitted that even she can't keep the house picture-perfect after welcoming her third child in 2021. 

Kondo said that at this stage of life, with three young children, she has switched her focus from keeping her space immaculate to spending her time intentionally. 

"Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times," she said recently, according to The Washington Post. "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."

Like many other parents before her, Kondo has realized that the pressure to keep a house clean can be at odds with sparking joy in parenthood. 

"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," she said. 

Most moms say that Kondo's evolution was needed

Katie Anthony, a mom of two, said that after making a career capitalizing on tidiness, Kondo's pivot felt "weird." Still, Anthony felt validated by Kondo's new tone, in part because it's been Anthony's approach all along. 

"My house is cluttered and messy because I'm too busy making memories and discovering treasures with my family," she said. 

As for Kondo's earlier advice, "things can be functional in theory but not really as widely applicable as they are made out to be," Anthony said. 

Olivia Christensen said her reaction to Kondo's confession amounted to "no kidding."

"I feel toward Marie Kondo what I feel towards all earnest moms-to-be who think the rest of us struggle due to poor habits rather than tough realities — a sympathetic yet smug certainty that they're going to eat their words eventually," she said. "And here we are."

For other moms, the idea of pivoting your belief system as your family grows and changes resonated. 

"This feels like a natural progression of where this method goes as you have more kids and your life becomes more chaotic," said Emilia Caby, a mom of four. "Of course, her house isn't as tidy with three kids as it was with one or even none, but that doesn't mean she's hypocritical. Motherhood has changed her."

One mom of four says she felt validated by Kondo's original message and slightly put off by the new one

And yet, not all moms were happy to see Kondo's message of tidiness tossed out. Melyssia Myers, a mom of four children, including infant twins, found Kondo's original message reassuring. 

"Sometimes there's a negative stigma out there that it's not ok to have a clean house when you have kids," she said. Myers "struggles to find inner peace in the mess."

"I felt validated, in some ways, by Marie Kondo supporting that a clean, organized space is beneficial for mental health," she said. 

Kondo's newest pivot made Myers wonder if she really is that out of touch with other parents who embrace the messiness. Still, she said, she knows what works for her. Sometimes, more kids means going to bed with a clean house rather than having one all day, but that's still important to Myers. 

"Mentally, the mess definitely drags me down and weighs on me, creating more anxiety," she said. 

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