Monday, June 1, 2009

Airing My Dirty Laundry



This is the sweat shop I have in my basement. It's where I employ, and I use that term loosely, underage slave labor. Hey, how else do you think I have the time to do crafts and make those crazy recipe cards?

It wasn't always like this. I've been doing my family's laundry, alone, for quite a long time. I've been gradually passing the buck, one mental breakdown at a time.

The picture above is the girlies sorting their own underwear. I had to resort to this because I'm going blind. Yep, I think it's time for bifocals. I used to be able to read fine print like you wouldn't believe. Now, I have to use a magnifying glass to read the expiration dates on the Box Tops. It's so sad. 

I'm so sneaky when I give my girls new chores. We went out and bought them all new underwear because, oopsie, their drawers were getting a little tight in the bootie. If they'd stop growing it wouldn't be an issue, but no one in this house listens to me.

So, they needed new knickers anyway and, score one for me, now they're made with the tags printed right on them instead of the ridiculous little tags that curl up and fade with repeated washings. This streamlines the laundry sorting process in a big way.

As I was saying, the girlies are excited about their new under drawers so I told them they were going to start helping me fold the laundry too. This next part kills me, it's so excellent. They love sorting laundry. Yep, they think it's the neatest thing and, get this, they thanked me for showing them how to sort and fold their skivvies and socks. How lucky am I?


I so detest sorting and folding laundry. I've recently started using these wash bags to keep the girls' socks separate from ours. Just take a minute to do the math. I have a modest sized family of four, take those four people and multiply by 2 since each of us came with the standard-equipped limbs, well except that one day, and you get 8. Then multiply by 7 days in a week and you have 56 socks each week! 

Imagine what it's like in Girl Genius's house with nine girls. Double check my math and correct me if I'm wrong, but I come up with 154 socks! I'll bet she's never even stopped to consider that either. How can she? She's too busy doing her laundry in rainbow loads. Hey, with that many kids, she can.


So, here are those bags. I picked these up at Wal Mart, but I bet you could get them cheaper at the Dollar Store. I wrote each girl's initial on their bags with a Magic Marker, but I don't even think that was necessary. All it takes is peeking inside to determine who the laundry belongs to, then tossing it to them. 


One of the chores that I have the girls do three times a week, is to bring their dirty clothes downstairs to the laundry room and sort it into like-colors in a divided laundry cart. They do pretty well with this, and only occasionally do I have to fish the stray pair of underwear out of a pants leg. This brown tote is where Zoe keeps her dirty laundry between sorting. Stinkerbell has a pink one. Because she's so girlie.


When I fold clothes, I put the girls' laundry in matched outfits into these little net totes. I found these at the Dollar Store and I love them.


Then I make them carry them upstairs to their rooms and put it all away. BWAH HA, HA, HA! Snort.

25 comments:

  1. I just have to say, my mother had me contribute to the laundry process as soon as I could carry things myself. I remember helping her fold towels and blankets when I was about 3. It was one of the best things she did to help me become an adult. I went off to college fully knowing how to do my own laundry. I still can't cook worth a darn, but I can fold a mean t-shirt!

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  2. You SLAVE DRIVER you! ;)

    (except I'd totally do the same thing)

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  3. LOL. Was just going to say what Ter said.

    :)

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  4. i DID wonder how you ever managed... now I know.

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  5. One day they will be glad you trained them so well...."thanks MOM"?????!!! I am in awe of that!

    Suzanne

    Wish I lived next door, they could see me and my laundry, too!!! :)

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  6. Love it!!!
    You are nicer than me an provide a tote to carry it all at once-my two older boys carry all the laundry up, put theirs away, and put the other people's on their beds...and they have a million trips to make. I should break down and get them a tote, shouldn't I???

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  7. I suppose I'm a slave driver as well. My biys have been helping with laundry since they were probably 2. I don't know how you do it...you seem to take "normal" every day things and turn them into something hilarious. Ha ha. Snort.

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  8. I cannot WAIT until my boys start helping with laundry! I feel like a slave driver yelling "trash" 35 times a day for my 3 yr old to take various things to the garbage...

    great post!

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  9. I, too, am so glad that they started "stamping" the size in the back instead of the tag on the side. Helpful when trying to teach kids the front from the back. Of course, my daughter can still not ever get them on right!

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  10. I DETEST laundry too... if I don't do a load a day, I'm in trouble, and I RARELY do a load a day, so yeah, I'm always in trouble! I can't keep up! I look forward to my kids being old enough to do what you have done. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  11. You should have put do rags on them to make look like "slave" labor. HA HA!

    Who has a birthday this month??! Love the new topper :)

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  12. Just wait until they can start doing all their laundry themselves! It was the best day of my life when I relinquished that chore to my kiddo.

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  13. they are both tall enough to do their own laundry. I hadn't given it a thought til my friend who had ms and couldn't make it up and down the stair told me that her boys as soon as they were tall enough, she taught them to do their own laundry. I showed the kids, then put up a chart. You can teach about fabrics etc. Each of my 3 had their own laundry day, best to say a time so they don't procrastinate all day. It also taught if you didn't do laundry no clothes- that came when they were older. I love your site. Now I have a marine- alot of the boys didn't know how to do laundry. Never know where life will take your kids.
    Another slave driver mom

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  14. You are amazing. Can you make my kids like laundry? Danica won't help me with the socks (but I think Im gonna try your tricks!) but Zach loves to help me with laundry. Loves it!

    He comes up to the neatly folded piles, and at 18 months old, he knows you pick up the clothes, shake it out (misses the fact you FOLD it afterwards) and put it in the laundry bin. Granted, he seems to only like shaking out the already folded stuff, but it's a start! who am I to discourage him (which I alas, often do becuase he unfolds and shakes out things just as fast as I can fold them!)

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  15. slave driver, LOL! Its great to teach kids responsibility. my son is 8 and he helps sort and put away laundry, plus other chores. For some reason, a few people that I know think its HORRID that we make him do chores (??) others think its great.

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  16. Wait a minute! Did I just read that you STILL fold it for them??? Jill! When will you learn?!?! They can fold it all themselves! They can put it all away themselves too! OMG, let it go!! It is just laundry! It doesnt matter if it is folded right, they are just going to wear it and get it wrinkly and dirty anyway!

    *snort* I almost sounded NON-OCD there for a second.

    But seriously, good job! I like the idea of the totes. I have one laundry basket and the kids take it with their clothes in it and I have to go searching for it to get it back. The tote idea would eliminate that hassle!

    Luv ya, girlfriend!

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  17. You just SO TOTALLY rock! I love reading your blog! And yes, my youngest kitty is named after JackJack in the Incredibles!! Love that movie!

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  18. I'm in love...with your blog.

    I just found you through another blog and I'm so excited. I can't wait to control MY chaos :)

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  19. Your posts always crack me up!!!

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  20. you're so good to fold, and into outfits even... my kids get their clothes sorted into baskets... yep, just tossed right on in there.. if they want the clothes folded, they have to do it. i have too many kids and not enough time to fold underwear!

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  21. Any chance you'd rent them out by the hour? I've got quite a few piles around here.

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  22. I think it's good that they learn housework at an early age. My mom never required me to do household chores, so I grew up not knowing how to cook or do the laundry. Now I'm a mom myself and slowly learning... I find that because I was suddenly in charge w/o skills or knowledge on housekeeping, I lost a lot of weight because of stress and frustration. :S

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  23. If it fun and family-oriented it is more of a JOB than a CHORE.

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  24. O My Goodness are those Pet Shop panties? My 5 year old has those same ones! She's a Pet Shop Freak!

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  25. Your snicker at the end made me laugh out loud. After seeing "52 socks" I had to calculate how many our family goes through..70 = crazy. I'm going out today and purchasing those laundry wash bags. How simple to put dirty undies and socks in a wash bag! I just needed that shoved in my face to make me realize. My laundry room thanks you! and I do too!

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