#trending: Decluttering queen Marie Kondo's revelation that she has 'given up' on keeping tidy sparks off social media storm

SINGAPORE — Since having her third child, decluttering queen Marie Kondo has let tidying take a back seat, and some people are finally finding her relatable.

The 39-year-old Japanese author and organising consultant first shot to fame in 2011 with the book The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, which was then published in the United States in 2014 and spawned the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo in 2019.

For many, her name became synonymous with an unachievable ideal of spotless homes with perfectly organised wardrobes.

Now, more than a decade later, it appears that this ideal is no longer feasible for Kondo herself.

Speaking at a recent media webinar and virtual tea ceremony, she said simply: "I have kind of given up on (keeping my home tidy at all times) in a good way for me.

"Now I realise what is important to me is enjoying (the time I spend) with my children at home."

Her comments, reported by The Washington Post, quickly went viral online with fellow parents declaring that they have been "vindicated".

In a since-deleted tweet, Canadian filmmaker Sarah Polley joked: "Where is the official apology to those of us who she influenced to make our clothes into little envelopes while we had three kids!"

Twitter users were also amused by the apparent turnaround.

One wrote: "The fact that Marie Kondo, leader of millennials who were taught (by her) to only keep things that spark joy, has given up on tidying up her house now that she has three kids, is really sending me."

However, many were quick to criticise these reactions, claiming that they reflected a misguided idea of Kondo's philosophy.

One fan said: "Marie Kondo never made fun of anyone or judged people for having stuff. She liked to help organise. That's ittttt."

In a quoted tweet, the fan posted a series of screenshots from Kondo's first Netflix series in which she encouraged a client to buy and keep 50 pens if that was what "sparked joy" for him.

Though Kondo's comments only recently resurfaced, this was not the first time that she has spoken out about how having children changed her lifestyle.

Shortly after giving birth to her son in 2021, the author penned a note on her website titled "Reflections on Motherhood", talking about how she had slowly learnt to "let go of (her) need for perfection".

"I am busier than ever after having my third child, so I have grown to accept that I cannot tidy every day — and that is okay!" she wrote.

"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."

As one Twitter user pointed out: "She's specifically following her own advice. Her time with her children sparks more joy than perfect tidiness."

Online users also thanked her for being vulnerable and honest about how life may not always be ideal, especially with children at home.

On Instagram, public speaker and comedian Kristina Kuzmic, a Croatian mother of three living in the United States, reposted an old satirical video she had made when Kondo's famous Netflix show first aired.

In it, her young son takes Kondo's methodology to the extreme by throwing out everything he owns.

"Thankful for Marie Kondo being vulnerable in affirming parents that life with kids is supposed to be messy," Kuzmic wrote in the video caption.

"Often, what sparks the most joy is removing unrealistic pressures from our life."

Kondo later commented: "This video sparks so much joy."

At the same time, some people have remained sceptical about just how "messy" her home might be.

Singaporean freelance journalist Kirsten Han remarked in a tweet on Tuesday (Jan 31): "I have the sneaking suspicion that even that is still better than my place on its best day." 

Still, as Kondo explained in an interview with You Magazine in October last year: "The aim of tidying isn't to have less stuff.

"It's to select the items that you love and to live true to yourself."