---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with…"
description: "\"Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm trying to be more relaxed. You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house\" — Patric..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png"
---

#  Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm…

![“Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm trying to be more relaxed. You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house” quote by Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png)

> “Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm trying to be more relaxed. You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house”

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Managing a household with three children is challenging; striving for calm can feel overwhelming.

**In simple terms:** Parenting three kids is hard; stay relaxed.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize self‑care to avoid burnout.

Themes

parenting stress relaxation family mental health

Mood

empathetic hopeful

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- daily chores
- parenting routines
- self‑care practices
- family outings

Key Concepts

work‑life balance mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What small habit could reduce daily stress?
- How can you ask for help without feeling guilty?

A Different Perspective

Relaxation may be unrealistic without support; expectations need adjustment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-kids-2207974/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Housekeeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housekeeping/) [Housekeeping Incredibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housekeeping-incredibly-2207973/) [Insane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insane/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Picture books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-books/) [Relaxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relaxed/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/)

## Related quotes

> [Life can be difficult for kids born with a gold spoon in their mouth, because they never really get to find out if they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/life-can-be-difficult-for-kids-born-with-a-gold-spoon-in-their-mouth/)

[Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/)

> [I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it's because we don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/i-am-convinced-that-if-we-lose-kids-to-the-culture-of-drugs-and/)

[Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/)

> [“. . . Mrs. Lambchop sighed and shook her head. "You're at the office all day, having fun," she said. "You don't realize what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-brown/mrs-lambchop-sighed-and-shook-her-head-you-re-at-the-office-all-day/)

[Jeff Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-brown/)

> [I worked with kids quite a bit in kind of rough situations, between Sleepers and The River Wild. Just I've been in situations that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bacon/i-worked-with-kids-quite-a-bit-in-kind-of-rough-situations-between/)

[Kevin Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bacon/)

> [The better you are as a parent, the richer the nest you've built, the more difficult it is for your kids to leave. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/the-better-you-are-as-a-parent-the-richer-the-nest-you-ve-built-the/)

[Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/)

> [It's becoming increasingly difficult to find kids to hang out with that don't consume a lot of commercial culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/it-s-becoming-increasingly-difficult-to-find-kids-to-hang-out-with/)

[Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/)

> [Kids are starting at such a low base rate in terms of fitness that it's taking them years to catch up to where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley-thompson/kids-are-starting-at-such-a-low-base-rate-in-terms-of-fitness-that-it/)

[Daley Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley-thompson/)

> [You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/you-ll-go-insane-if-you-try-to-have-a-picture-book-house/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [“She helped the hunter with the cooking as a husband helps his wife: when he had gone out to hunt and left something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/she-helped-the-hunter-with-the-cooking-as-a-husband-helps-his-wife/)

[Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/)

> [It is a woman's business to be interested in the environment. It's an extended form of housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjory-stoneman-douglas/it-is-a-woman-s-business-to-be-interested-in-the-environment-it-s-an/)

[Marjory Stoneman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjory-stoneman-douglas/)

> [In regards to those other franchises that are being remade, we must take pains to mention that we're the only one where the original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/in-regards-to-those-other-franchises-that-are-being-remade-we-must/)

[David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/)

> [I don't let housekeeping in when I stay in hotels. It cuts down on all the caustic cleaning products and aggressive water usage, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-don-t-let-housekeeping-in-when-i-stay-in-hotels-it-cuts-down-on-all/)

[KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/)

> [I'm an excellent housekeeper. Every time I get a divorce, I keep the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zsa-zsa-gabo/i-m-an-excellent-housekeeper-every-time-i-get-a-divorce-i-keep-the/)

[Zsa Zsa Gabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zsa-zsa-gabo/)

> [Real optimism is not the pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/real-optimism-is-not-the-pep-talk-you-give-yourself-it-is-earned/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [Either the rest of the world can't live like the developed world or we need, as a society, to think more about the technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-graedel/either-the-rest-of-the-world-can-t-live-like-the-developed-world-or/)

[Thomas Graedel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-graedel/)

## More by Patrick Dempsey

> [I'd come in with this bitter attitude. It's not an escape, because I feel this disappointment, this jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-d-come-in-with-this-bitter-attitude-it-s-not-an-escape-because-i/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [Drama is easier to do because you just have to have the emotion and not get caught acting, but comedy is much harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/drama-is-easier-to-do-because-you-just-have-to-have-the-emotion-and/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [Kids take you outside your comfort level because you ask yourself, 'How do I answer that question for them?' You think back to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/kids-take-you-outside-your-comfort-level-because-you-ask-yourself-how/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [My wife and I try not to get into each other's work too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/my-wife-and-i-try-not-to-get-into-each-other-s-work-too-much/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I am romantic but I think it takes more than just flowers. Marriage is great and blissful, but it takes work and understanding. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-am-romantic-but-i-think-it-takes-more-than-just-flowers-marriage-is/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I was 17 when I left the small Maine town where I'd grown up. I wanted to do something I thought was important with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-was-17-when-i-left-the-small-maine-town-where-i-d-grown-up-i-wanted/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I don't necessarily want to direct because it's too much work and I don't have the attention span to stay with it that long.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-don-t-necessarily-want-to-direct-because-it-s-too-much-work-and-i/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [Sometimes in television, if there are storylines that are oft-told, people can be hypercritical of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/sometimes-in-television-if-there-are-storylines-that-are-oft-told/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I think fame is one of those things where you have a window of opportunity and you have a certain amount of trust from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-think-fame-is-one-of-those-things-where-you-have-a-window-of/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [The first was about the individual, following your passion and all of that...Why not take it to the next step and go, 'this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/the-first-was-about-the-individual-following-your-passion-and-all-of/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/you-ll-go-insane-if-you-try-to-have-a-picture-book-house/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I have a specialized racing bike, which is great because it has a solid build, is comfortable to ride, and is lightweight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-have-a-specialized-racing-bike-which-is-great-because-it-has-a/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [I think TV is much more the writer's medium and film is about the director and their vision and how you can collaborate with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/i-think-tv-is-much-more-the-writer-s-medium-and-film-is-about-the/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [What you want in a romantic comedy, is to have two people that you want to see together and how do they overcome the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/what-you-want-in-a-romantic-comedy-is-to-have-two-people-that-you/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

> [With competition there is always ego and hubris... competition gets in the way of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/with-competition-there-is-always-ego-and-hubris-competition-gets-in/)

[Patrick Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

[Explore all 59 Patrick Dempsey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm trying to be more relaxed. You'll go insane if you try to have a picture-book house",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Patrick Dempsey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-with-three-kids-i-m-trying-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-with-three-kids-i-m-trying-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/patrick-dempsey-11577_book_housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-wit_1822830.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three kids. I'm trying to be more relaxed. You'll go insane if you…” — Patrick Dempsey",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Patrick Dempsey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dempsey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Housekeeping is incredibly difficult with three...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-with-three-kids-i-m-trying-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dempsey/housekeeping-is-incredibly-difficult-with-three-kids-i-m-trying-to-be/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
