No one enjoys doing laundry (well, at least know one I know), but unless you live in a nudist colony, cleaning clothes is a necessary evil. Getting it done, however, seems more like a punishment than a normal part of adulthood, especially when you're a parent. That's probably why there are some weird things moms do when they're doing the laundry, and that's definitely why those weird things make sense. Getting through piles upon piles of laundry, day in and day out, usually forces you to get creative with both your time and your imagination if you have any hopes of making it through that massive piles of clothes.
There's a lot of weird things parents do just to get through the day, and doing the laundry is no different. Household chores are the bane of every parent's existence, at least until they're kids are old enough to participate. Until we're able to teach our children to be independent enough that they're able (though, not necessarily always wiling) to fold their own laundry, that responsibility is, unfortunately, on our shoulders. That's probably why so many parents are left with a choice between going commando, or developing their own unique (and weird) coping mechanisms to get through the redundancy of washing and folding the same clothes over and over and over again.
Of course, it's not to say that dads and/or any other parenting partner can't pitch can't do laundry, too. I mean, washing everyone's clothes is definitely not the mom's responsibility, just because she's a mom. I know plenty of parenting partners (regardless of gender) that do the following weird things to get them through a few laundry loads, too. However, if dividing up certain responsibilities in your family means that you're doing most of the laundry, and you do the following ten weird things all day every day, trust me, I get it. Do what you gotta do, mom, because laundry is the freakin' worst.
Secretly Enjoys Folding Clothes Because It Means Getting Alone Time
I definitely don't enjoy doing laundry. Like, not at all, but I do enjoy the alone time is grants me. The laundry room is a room that pretty much guarantees a woman (or man) some time alone, because no one in their right mind would follow someone into the laundry room and risk the obligation of pitching in and folding clothes.
Pours Herself A "Laundry" Drink
Surely I can't be the only one who does this. Laundry time is sort of like parental "party time" for me. If I'm going to have to soldier through folding multiple piles of laundry, I'm at least going to get a good buzz to numb the annoyance in the mean time. Cheers, y'all!
Stares At Her Children's Clothes And Gets Sad
Am I shrinking the kids' clothes, or are they just growing up that damn fast? I love seeing my little munchkins grow, but I really wish they would slow down. Folding all of their tiny laundry makes me feel nostalgic and sad and like time is ticking away way too fast. Or maybe that's just the buzz from my "laundry" drink. Whatever, tiny clothes are adorable, but the bigger they get, the sadder I get.
Puts On Her Favorite '90s Music And Pretends She's A Spice Girl
Laundry drink? Check. My favorite '90s radio playing entirely too loud? Check. Amazing dance moves learned, and perfected, by watching Spice Girls music videos as a kid? Double check.
Curses At The Things That Won't Fold
What's the point of even trying to fold a fitted sheet? Answer: there is none, but that doesn't stop me from trying to master the folding of a fitted sheet every damn time I do the laundry. I usually end up cursing and throwing it across the room before I simply resort to wadding it into a ball and shoving it in the closet.
Curses At All The Missing Socks
Trying to locate the mate to each tiny, individual sock is like trying to find Big Foot. It's a conspiracy and it's stupid, and it makes me believe that the manufacturers of dryers and sock companies are conspiring together and against consumers, making us all buy more socks and more expensive "sock saving" dryers. Dammit, where do they go?
Wonders What It Would Be Like To Live In A Nudist Colony
I don't even want to do the math on how many hours my husband and I spend doing laundry. I just don't understand how our family of four can conjure such monumental piles of clothes, and why no matter how much time we spend doing the laundry, there's always more of it waiting. It really makes me want to consider going commando.
Smells The Clean Laundry Because It Makes Her Feel Like She's On Vacation
I'm convinced that there's some addictive additive in laundry detergent. I could literally sit and smell it all day. It makes me feel like I'm sitting on a warm, sunny beach with a drink in my hand, when really, I'm sitting on the dryer sniffing sheets, with a drink in my hand.
Daydreams About Being On Vacation
So about that vacation...
Feels A Ridiculous Sense Of Accomplishment Once It's All Over
Victory is mine! If getting loads and loads of laundry doesn't make you feel like queen of the damn world, well, you're probably not a mother, because getting the laundry done is a major feat in the life of anyone with kids. It sort of feels like getting all of my homework done as a child, and finally being free to play. It's ridiculous, yes, and it's weird, but when you're a mom and all of the house's laundry is clean and folded, you can't help but to feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It only last for, maybe, 24 hours, so just pretend like it's a big deal and give me my moment.
