Marie Kondo, famed organizer and tidying expert, admits that now that she is a mother of three, her house is not in tip-top condition all the time. Her confession made families around the world feel a little better.
Marie first rose to fame in the United States in 2014 with the arrival of her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her hit Netflix series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo dropped in 2019, further solidifying her as a household name. She made her recent confession during a webinar to promote her new book, Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life.
“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. Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. 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,” Marie says.
Marie’s new book expands the definition of tidying up to include dealing with emotional and mental clutter instead of merely the physical. She urges others to not only fold their clothes but do the things such as spending time with family that are important to them.
“Tidying up means dealing with all the ‘things’ in your life. So, what do you really want to put in order?” Marie says in her new book.
Marie’s first book focused on organizing physical spaces quickly and efficiently. She had readers place their clothes in one large pile and urged them to throw away anything that did not “spark joy.” She then taught her readers how to fold their clothes lovingly and thank them for their service.
To some, her methods were extreme and minimalist. She did not keep sentimental items such as letters. She did not keep many physical books. But for most people, Marie gave them permission to get rid of not only the physical items in their lives that were causing pain but also the emotions behind it. It was now OK to give away the ugly sweater your late grandma gave you that you kept because you loved her but took up valuable closet space. Your memories are what really mattered.
In her personal life, Marie married husband Takumi Kawahara in 2012. Takumi formerly worked in sales, but when Marie’s career took off, he left his job and became her manager, then CEO of Konmari Media. The couple share three children, two daughters and a son, and live in Los Angeles.
Marie loves being a mother. “Watching my children grow is a source of daily happiness. My little ones exude joy! Their excitement about the smallest things — finding pebbles with interesting shapes or simply the thrill of running fast — reminds me how wonderful it is to delight in simple things,” she says on her website.
Marie admits that being a mother is harder than she initially thought. “The time and labor involved in raising a family is more than I ever imagined — especially in their infant years, when I had virtually no time for myself. The experience has made me more thankful toward my own parents,” she adds.
Being a mother has changed Marie for the better. She is now more present and joyful. “When I see my three little ones playing together, it brings so much joy to me and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Instead of concentrating on clutter or pressuring myself to clean right then and there, I focus on the delight I feel in those present moments, knowing we can address any messes made later on,” she says. “Motherhood has helped me be kinder and gentler with myself – and that is a gift in and of itself.”
