Why The Normal House Trend Is Getting Cheers On TikTok
While TikTok is filled with regular people who are simply trying their best, there still seems to be this unspoken pressure to present your life as picture-perfect. Many people have mentioned over the years that social media is a highlight reel and not an accurate depiction of people's everyday lives. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop the comparison game from running rampant in your mind, especially when it comes to the home you live in.
With the "influencer aesthetic" representing an ideal home that is always clean and perfectly decorated, it can be hard to feel like that is achievable or even remotely relatable. Especially for those who have kids, it can seem like the mess never ends, regardless of how much you clean. According to Parents, many moms who post online echo this sentiment, explaining how they often don't create posts when they feel like their home doesn't look "good enough."
This is why the "normal house" trend is becoming so popular. It's not one misplaced blanket or a few dishes in the sink of a perfectly curated home, it's the real-life stuff that is not glamorous and often shameful that's being shown, and viewers can tell the difference.
Don't live in the silent shame
As Brené Brown explains in her TED Talk, shame grows when combined with "secrecy, silence, and judgment." That is why creators gain so much traction when they finally break their silence and share what a normal house looks like on social media. It makes others feel less judged because it's no longer a secret that most homes are imperfect. Parents often have to choose between spending time with their kids or spending time cleaning the house, and normalizing these priorities resonates deeply.
TikTok creator Brielle Cherie speaks to this trend directly, with many of her videos depicting the struggles of keeping up with a house while being a stay-at-home working mom. She also encourages other moms to put themselves out there and create content if they want to, noting that relatability is the formula to TikTok success. The fear of having a house that's not "aesthetic" enough is something Cherie fights against, explaining that being truly relatable helps others "feel less alone" and avoid the comparison game. The message was well received by followers, with many commenters thanking her for the transparency.
Normalize normal homes
While seeing beautiful homes and pristine furniture on your social media feed can feel like a little escape from everyday life, it turns from inspiring to invalidating very quickly. That's because most people can't afford that aesthetic in the first place, and following influencers that frequently remind you of what you don't have can become mentally and emotionally draining, especially when it seems like it all comes so easy to others. This might even lead some down the path of a full-on social media detox.
Luckily, another TikTok creator named Dalen posted about this exact topic with the caption "normalizing normal homes," and explained how actively curating her For You page to match more realistic living was very refreshing. Seeing normal homes isn't just relatable but it helps to normalize those aspects of life that aren't considered glamorous, like groceries on the counter or clutter on the kitchen table.
Having a perfectly clean home all of the time is truly an impossible task, especially when you throw working parents and kids into the mix. While some influencers will continue to choose not to show this part of their life or home, simply knowing that it's likely never as perfect as it seems is comforting. Plus, the more creators who share their actual lived-in spaces, the more normalized normal homes will become.