Why do people get obsessed over laundry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming you don’t have kids?
We go through one load a day. Moving it from washer to dryer, then folding it, sorting it, putting it away. Not Terrible, it’s like 20-30min a day total time spent. But let’s say you go on a 3 day mini vacation. Or you get the flu and so 3 days. Suddenly you are 90 minutes in the hole. Now imagine that happens every other week- for some reason, ever 14 days, you have to skip a few days. That means you are not infrequently staying home on a Saturday so you can obsessively switch over laundry loads, fold, sort, put away, then repeat an hour later all afternoon.

We're a family of 4 (one of whom is now in college) and never, ever, have any of us stayed home for a load of laundry. We separate thin fabrics that take less time to dry from heavier fabrics that take more time to dry, because each washing load goes directly into the dryer, minus the delicates bag that gets hung out to dry. There is no separation by owner or color or type of clothing except for the drying time factor. Over many years I've realized colors don't bleed (I do a separate wash of new items separately to make sure because we had 1 incident in 20 years, and then everything is treated the same).

Laundry is just not on our list of problems.

I don't understand this. We have 3 teens in sports, plus DH and I exercise clothes. 4 sets of king or queen sheets. Towels. Laundry never ends. A lot of our clothes are hang dry. Which takes time in between loads. You just....throw everything you own in the dryer?

[Anonymous]

I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people get so obsessed and overwhelmed by laundry?

It’s not like you a washing it by a river-you put it in the machine and it’s done.

Allergies often. When I first started sleeping with my now husband, I had a whole body reaction to his fabric softener. The skin came off in sheets. He immediately stopped using softener.

A friend gets debilitating migraines from any artificial fragrance or strong scent. She puts all of her family’s laundry through a second cycle with just water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

Did you see the word “consistently” in my post. I agree that in situations like this, you preserve your kid’s sleep (but why is there only one practice uniform?).

How about his regular laundry—do you do that for him on the weekends too?

Tangent: There’s an epidemic of college students and young adults who are deeply unhappy, and I know it can be a lot of things, but I wonder sometimes if parents work so hard to make their childhood magical and happy and easy and don’t make their kids do things so they can focus on fun/socializing and their preferred sport or activity (as well as homework of course) and then these kids grow into adults in the real world and realize that life isn’t as easy as when mom/dad did everything for me and they become deeply unhappy.

Or it’s the social media

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

Did you see the word “consistently” in my post. I agree that in situations like this, you preserve your kid’s sleep (but why is there only one practice uniform?).

How about his regular laundry—do you do that for him on the weekends too?

Tangent: There’s an epidemic of college students and young adults who are deeply unhappy, and I know it can be a lot of things, but I wonder sometimes if parents work so hard to make their childhood magical and happy and easy and don’t make their kids do things so they can focus on fun/socializing and their preferred sport or activity (as well as homework of course) and then these kids grow into adults in the real world and realize that life isn’t as easy as when mom/dad did everything for me and they become deeply unhappy.

Or it’s the social media

We have lost the pride that comes with being able to take care of yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

Yes I think teens should do some laundry even if it’s a load on the weekend. Your version is how you raise the lazy DHs on this board.

[Anonymous]

Lower your standards for folding and putting away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

I wonder why people like you bothered to have kids.

[Anonymous]

I would rather do laundry than any other household task. Hate washing dishes. Hate even loading and unloading the dishwasher. Hate cleaning the bathroom. Hate vacuuming. Hate making beds. I’ll take laundry duty any day if someone else will do the other chores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

Simple. Tell Ds to get a second practice uniform.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

I wonder why people like you bothered to have kids.

Raising kids to be responsible self-functioning adults is parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

That's a real lack of imagination. Imagine...other households running differently than yours!
Here's one of MANY examples. My teen Ds gets home from high school basketball practice at 9:45. His practice uniform needs to be washed and dried and in his backpack by 7:15 am. Should he stay up late doing laundry? Not the best use of his time. He needs to eat, shower and go to bed.

Simple. Tell Ds to get a second practice uniform.

You know nothing. The practice uniforms are issued by the public HS. Each kid gets one jersey and one pair of shorts, and they must be washed every night, worn to every practice and brought to every game. You don't "just go get" another one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

I wonder why people like you bothered to have kids.

Bro, if you want a dependent for life, get a pet. Kids are adults in training. Laundry is a necessary life skill. Stop acting like teaching competence to kids is anything other than good parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine doing laundry for my kids over the age of 10. They are completely capable and should be doing their own. If you’re doing it for them consistently then you are babying them.

I wonder why people like you bothered to have kids.

Raising kids to be responsible self-functioning adults is parenting.

That.