Editor's note: Laundry may not be the 2-3 day chore of days gone by,
but it still takes a huge amount of effort and any useful tips for
making the process a little easier are sure to be welcome!
By Carrie Lauth
Mom, are you spending way too much time sorting, washing,
and folding laundry?
Here are some quick easy tips to help get you out of the
laundry room!
1. Sort Less
With the exception of whites that need to be bleached, brand new dark or
red items that bleed or delicates, you may not need to sort laundry as
much as you think.
Most high quality clothing doesn't bleed. And there is no crime in
washing towels with other laundry unless it will get linty (like
microfiber cleaning cloths).
You might want to sort laundry by what room it will end up in.
I throw my boy's laundry all in together and despite what home economics
gurus might tell you, I haven't noticed any bad effects! This method
simplifies things because each load goes to the same place. Instead of
walking around the house delivering laundry to each room, you save
energy and time.
2. Instead of folding...
Hang kid's shirts in their closet and simply lay small items
flat in their drawers.
I use those cheap shoebox size plastic organizers in the boy's
closet and throw unsorted clean socks in one, undies in another,
pjs in another. Each child has his own containers so there's no
confusion.
It's much simpler than spending time folding underwear and matching
socks. They can find their own sock mates!
3. Use Your Tools
Put one laundry basket in each room where dirty laundry is discarded
(usually one per bathroom or bedroom). Buy some of those zippered mesh
bags at the dollar store and throw one in each.
4. Teach your kids and husband
Ask your husband and kids to put laundry in the hamper instead of
dropping it on the floor, and to bring their hamper to the laundry area
when you're ready to wash. Don't scold or nag, use natural consequences.
When someone needs that favorite pair of Buzz Lightyear pjs or boxers,
they will quickly learn that if it doesn't make it to the hamper, it
doesn't get washed!
Train them too to put their dirty socks in the mesh bag. Even if
they're too young to do so, put all dirty socks in the bag and
throw the entire thing in the washer. They come out clean and
the washer doesn't eat the baby's socks.
Enlist your kid's help when it comes to folding laundry. A 2 year old
can put dirty laundry in the hamper and throw clean clothes in the dryer
when you hand it to them, a 3 year old can fold washcloths, and an older
child can deliver clean folded laundry to their room and even hang
items.
5. Forget Perfection
When I was a kid we had "play clothes" and "school clothes". The
nicer things were what you wore to school and out of the
house, and you changed into your play clothes (usually items
that had a defect or weren't as nice as going-out clothes) as
soon as you got home.
Using this method means that the nicer items don't wear out as
quickly, and they may not need to be washed after every wearing. An item
that is worn once (unless it's socks or undies) doesn't necessarily need
to be washed.
And you may decide that it's not worth spending time removing
stains on play clothes, thus saving you more time and money.
Also, try using Oxi-Clean or another non-toxic whitener instead of
bleach on your whites. Since it can also be used on colors, it won't be
the end of the world if a stray colored item gets in your bleach load.
I hope these tips help rescue you from laundry room shackles!
Inside The Minds Of
School-age Kids
How do we help our kids through tough times in school? I think the
biggest road block is finding out what is going on at school. Oh sure,
they will tell us about the comings and goings of kids and who got in
trouble during casual conversations in the car or at the dinner table.
But how often do they share the things that are worrying them most?
Aren't They All Our Children?
There may be no greater question for our generation. And how we answer that
question will determine the shape of our world for years to come...
Advantages Of Raising A Bilingual
Child
There is no doubt that raising a bilingual child takes a great deal of effort
and commitment from the parents. Is it worth it?
Motivating Your Children To Get Things
Done
If you have children, you know how hard it can be to get them to do the
things they should, and how frustrating. When the kids are distracted, convincing
them to take care of their household chores and other
responsibilities can be a real challenge.
Delightful Musical Activities and
Imaginative Play You Can Enjoy With Your Child
Today's parents are learning more about their child's unique developmental
process, and the shared learning experience that creates a unique bond as the
child associates learning with fun, musical play. Here are some delightful
activities you can do with your child.
How Old is Too Old to
Become a Mother? Britain's Oldest Mum-To-Be is 66.
The papers are full of the news about Elizabeth Munro, due to become the oldest
Mum in Britain at 66. As you might expect, there are opinions left, right and
sideways about whether this is "right." But on what grounds should this woman
and her pregnancy be judged, if at all?
Think You Know How to Handle These 10
Parenting Emergencies? Think Again!
There have been times over the years when I've seriously thought the words
"parenting" and "emergency" were one and the same. You probably have, too, as
kids tend to get into things when you turn your head for just a second. So,
let's look at some common emergency situations and see the wrong and right way
to handle them... Editor's note: I thought I was well-up on emergency
procedures and first aid, but this article has made me think again. Well worth
reading!
