I was mulling over the fact this morning that I want to teach my girls some basic laundry skills (some of you are thinking I'm a little behind and others are gasping at the thought of child labor). I came up with a brilliant plan of taking photos of the position of the dials on the washer and dryer and incorporating them into a chart that I can post on the wall in the laundry "room" (which is really a hole in the bathroom :)
Anyway, in all this thought and contemplation, I was trying to remember when I learned to do laundry. I must have learned by trial and error and maybe a few phone calls to my mother after I got married because I do not remember doing any laundry when I was still at home. For those of you about ready to have a coronary at this thought...keep in mind that my mother had 4 children in 5 years then a nice space of 5 years before the next and 8 years after that before I came along. By the time she got to me, life was a breeze. I DID learn to clean the bathroom including toilets at a very early age and I dusted and vacuumed, did dishes and even helped with yardwork and kept the car clean, so it's not like I didn't do any chores. Looking back, I wonder if my mom felt about her laundry room like I feel about baking...my territory. She was awesome at getting stains out (a trait I did NOT inherit) so maybe that was something she wanted to do on her own and not trust me to take care of.
So, my question for you: when did YOU learn to do laundry?
11 comments:
The summer before I went to college?
Robert, on the other hand, was 12.
I hung diapers out every day from the time I was probably 10 or 11 years old. We put them through a wringer washer; Mom always warned us to be careful not to get our arm caught in it!
Ack! I was just telling my husband last night about the time when my dad was little and walking through the dark basement, running his hands along everything down there and the wringer washer got him. Ouchie!! I'll have to look up the story in the book my grandma wrote but I think he thought he was caught by an animal or monster or something.
I had to "switch loads" & fold from probably 12-ish on and was finally allowed to run the washer when I was probably 16 or so. I don't think my Mom trusted me to sort or even pour in the laundry soap. (I am absent-minded & also messy. I'm assuming that's why the late age....?!)
Don't feel bad Sara--I didn't do laundry much at all(maybe a few loads) until I was married. I think Mom enjoyed doing it so we did other things. I did have to hang clothes up out of the dryer(I'm guessing she didn't like doing that-cause I don't either)and fold a put them away!
Julie
P.S. How do you know Dorothy Bowen?
Interesting--her sister Donna taught here in our school years ago!
I remember going to the laundromat with mom when our sister, Barb was a baby, and I watched her while mom did the laundry. I was 9 at that time. By the time Jodi and I were 10 & 12, mom was dropping US off at the laundromat and we did the laundry; sometimes she stayed and helped - but other times she did other errands. I remember learning to sort the laundry probably at the age of 12, too. I don't remember having a Washer/Dryer at home until Dad built the house on Mission Road.
Julie, I'm guessing that Dorothy found me from someone else's blog? Not sure. But, Dorothy, did you go to UBC? It seems like I remember a Dorothy Bowen playing for a quartet that came to our camp when I was little.
I would throw in a load every now and then when living at home, but I didn't really starting doing it until we got married. This is a chore I COULD live without, it is a NEVER ending chore : ) I know, I know, some day I will wish I had "little kid" clothes to wash again. --We had a wringer washer for a lot of years growing up and I was always afarid I would get my fingers caught in it and I remember Mom telling us "I'll do it". That was fine by us : )
Yup!! Gail and I did the
laundry for the whole family
by ourselves.
And if I didn't help her fold the
sheets right, She would say,
"WENDY JO" LOL!! Of course I'd rather
drink Tab, and look for true love
magazines to read ,(naughty stories) , and hide them inside
other magazines so Gail didn't know what I was reading, I was
afraid she would tell on me!!!
We also learned how to iron
at the same time, We started out
with hankies, then pillowcases
then, Mom's aprons, after we could
iron them, we ironed everything!!
I don't remember when! Probably 13 or so but didn't have the responsibility until I was married. Also when I was older (17 to 21) I'd just wash my stuff when needed.
I started helping when I was about 10! I still don't have my kids do much. Ok, they only bring their clothes out and take them back when they are clean. I am bad at receiving help on that or cooking. I have made a resolution to let Abby help in the kitchen when she gets home so if my tongue ends up red and raw it is because I spent so much time biting it!
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