How to Keep House While Drowning

Dishes don’t think. Dishes don’t judge. Care tasks are morally neutral

How to Keep House While Drowning: a gentle approach to cleaning and organizing by KC Davis

March 2, 2022 by Emmalita 8 Comments

I read KC Davis’ self published How to Keep House While Drowning in January 2021 and since then I have recommended it to many many people and bought it for a few. I was delighted to see that Davis’ book is being republished by a Simon & Schuster imprint, Simon Element. I hope it gets in the hands of more people. I consider this an essential book. I value this book on several levels. One: my ability to stay on top of multiple care tasks […]

“Shame is the enemy of functioning.”

How to Keep House While Drowning: 31 Days of Compassionate Help by K.C. Davis

March 26, 2021 by faintingviolet 1 Comment

I’ve spent the past few years unpacking a lot about myself, doing the work in therapy, reading up on things that sounds like perhaps they are me. In that I’ve also started dealing with the fact that I struggle with care tasks – what you might more easily recognize as “chores”. I always have, I don’t remember a time when completing care tasks came easily, or instinctually. And, when I’m in a bad headspace it all gets so much worse. But, I need to stop […]

Care. Tasks. Are. Morally. Neutral.

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

February 1, 2021 by Blingle Bells 2 Comments

Are you a parent? If no, are you at least a human? Do you struggle with any of the following: housework, meal prep/planning/obtaining/cooking, laundry, the constant mental energy suck of parenting, daily hygiene? Is any of that a result of depression, ADHD, disability, life-is-a-marathon exhaustion, lack of support, having more to do than there are hours in the day? Do you feel: guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, shitty self-worth, like a failure? If you answered yes to any of those questions or anything similar, BUY THIS […]

Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Partially

How to Keep House While Drowning: 31 Days of Compassionate Help by KC Davis

January 10, 2021 by Emmalita 11 Comments

Note: I have also reviewed a revised and expanded edition of this book due out in late April, 2022. I believe deeply in letting go of shame*, especially when it comes to house work. There are a lot of reasons why house keeping can get away from you and putting a lot of shame on yourself about it is unnecessary and counter productive. I know this deeply and truly about other people. It is much much harder to apply those beliefs to myself. A […]

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Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
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Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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