LaundryOn the last issue of barnyard, I had a comment from Steph B. regarding laundry... so I thought I would spend a post talking about it, at least a little.
As you can see from this picture (2004), it was laundry time and I had my usual gaggle of helpers, Snookie, Maggie, and just at the bottom of the frame you see the top of Daisy's head. Snookie had just turned two, and spent the majority of his time hanging out with me... and where he went, the dogs were always close by (they never knew if he might have a snack or sippy cup in hand that they might get a little taste of...).
Pre-children laundry was fairly simple; we had our unmentionables and our weekend clothes, and the majority of our work clothes were dry cleaned (boy, that was nice). Then on that wonderful Friday, August 6th 2004, we had three boys all 3 and under to suddenly care for. Did I mention we also immediately started potty training all three of them? FUN TIMES! Laundry went from every few days to piles every day (not to mention all the other chores I was suddenly having to do every day). It took time, but eventually I came up with a routine that worked well for us... and every one had clean clothes when they needed them. My current routine has been altered over the years, and once the potty training ended certain areas of laundry definitely settled down.
Our families go through seasons where the laundry expectations change, and so to will your routine (sometimes it goes from a real pain in the rear, to not so bad and even completely manageable... or the other way around :-).
As far as mother's health, well obviously this goes through its own ups and downs... being ill, injured, pregnant, or just given birth will all throw a wrench in the works. For me, I've only had to deal with injury and illness... and for me, in those times I am so thankful for my routine. Why, well going into the illness or injury my laundry wasn't piled to the ceiling... and with just a little help from someone I could maintain some semblance of our laundry. That could be help from my dear husband (who is great at jumping in when I'm not able to get it done for whatever reason), or my kids (this was very helpful when I couldn't walk around because of ankle injuries... they brought it to me and then would put it away, even my stuff!), or if you are lucky enough to have a relative or friend who can pitch in from time to time during your down time.
You, obviously have to find what works for you and for your family... and I know most moms dislike laundry... so my whole point was and is... find a way to get into a routine where you don't allow it to pile up (dirty or clean) and you might find it not to be such a thorn!
Posts
2 comments:
Amen Sisterfriend! I love, love, love my front loading washer for the very reason that the kids can help load, unload and switch. And God bless hubbies who aren't afraid to get a little detergent on their hands when Mom is out and down for the count. The hardest part for me was going from a laundry day to a laundry lifestyle. My mom could do all of the laundry for our family of 4 all in one day. I could too until our family grew. It took forever to get the idea that laundry had to be done all week long into my head but when I did, life at home was so much better!
Charlotte, I was raised somewhat like that... I don't remember there being a set day, but my mom would wait till all the hampers were over flowing then she would do load after load. I tried that and realized it only made me hate the laundry that much more. I needed to do a little every day so that it never took more than a handful of minutes to fold and put away... otherwise I would feel overwhelmed by it and let it pile up until my poor husband would dump it all outm on the floor searching for one pair of black socks!
And hubbies... oh how I love my hubby! He really does help me out when for whatever reason I am unable. I can't imagine what our life would be like if he didn't step up when I had to step back! I'm sure it would be a house full of piles (of every sort).
Post a Comment