Laundry Service at college?

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure the post 18:20 quoted was a joke but its premise -- that there are some bizarrely intense emotional investments in laundry here -- seemed accurate.

The whole coddling/helicoptering/incompetence rhetoric isn't coming from anything in OP's scenario (kid does his own laundry at home and has for years, kid is putting himself through college, kid and parents think it's cool that he's going to college a continent away). Which leaves me wondering whether laundry becomes sacrosanct when operating a washer and dryer is the only domestic "skill" a poster's DC (son?) has.

[Anonymous]

My kid (who does his own laundry) goes to a Big 10 school with thousands of on-campus residents. Finding a free machine is like playing the lottery and sometimes has to happen at the oddest hours of the day. I don't see why some 22 year old genius hasn't come up with an app for reserving machines in dorms or laundromats because when you think of a 10-story dorm with 4 machines in the basement, you wonder how anyone manages it. Which brings you to the problem of kids bringing enough clothing to last for weeks/months, but having nowhere to store it.

Bottom line, it's a service I'd consider for my kids just to make things a little more manageable, NOT because they are unable to do the laundry themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your child disabled?

No, he's a slob. (Yes, I tried to teach him to be neat, but his bedroom is a disaster and he wore his swim trunks around the house last weekend because he was too lazy to do his laundry). But he is a good student on a full scholarship, which I am thrilled about, so I'm thinking about doing it for the first year. Plus, I pity his roommate.

As his future employer, may I suggest college is a really great, natural opportunity for you to stop the helicoptering?

+1

Just stop doing his laundry. Quit. Today. Let him live with the consequences.

+2 And think of how much better you will be making your future relationship with a daughter-in-law (or son-in-law) if you help your son learn some basic self-care skills.

[Anonymous]

I would just leave it to him. Tell him he will have x amount of spending money and if he wants laundry service as part of that he needs to sign up for it now. Whatever he decides is how it will go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just leave it to him. Tell him he will have x amount of spending money and if he wants laundry service as part of that he needs to sign up for it now. Whatever he decides is how it will go.

Why would any responsible parent fund their kid's laziness?

That's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that a lot of negative posts about outsourcing laundry has come from people who seem to be real jerks. They have not only failed to answer a simple question that OP has asked but actually been very mean and sarcastic when posting their unsolicited opinions.

It makes me think that they are carrying deep seated anger and resentment because they did not have a laundry service in college.

OP, please provide a laundry service to your kid, otherwise, he may turn into a bitter and jealous person too.

You can't be serious? No one has anger and resentment about laundry. It is just frustrating to watch parents coddle their kids and then wonder why they can't do basic things.

I fail to understand why you are frustrated when others coddle their kids? How does that impact you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems that a lot of negative posts about outsourcing laundry has come from people who seem to be real jerks. They have not only failed to answer a simple question that OP has asked but actually been very mean and sarcastic when posting their unsolicited opinions.

It makes me think that they are carrying deep seated anger and resentment because they did not have a laundry service in college.

OP, please provide a laundry service to your kid, otherwise, he may turn into a bitter and jealous person too.

You can't be serious? No one has anger and resentment about laundry. It is just frustrating to watch parents coddle their kids and then wonder why they can't do basic things.

I fail to understand why you are frustrated when others coddle their kids? How does that impact you?

Not the PP but it impacts EVERYONE!! It is sad that you don't see how our society is declining by enabling. Everyone wants something, no working hard, sir-happy, etc....

[Anonymous]

^sue-happy

[Anonymous]

You don't want him to be that freshman. Let him do his own laundry, and if you want to do something nice for him, get him a ZipCar membership or sign him up for a care package service with really yummy snacks. BTW, two of my kids went to school in California; it's not the end of the world, OP. We've had a lot of fun visiting them.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe anyone knows -- or cares -- which classmates do their own laundry. And if there are laundry services that cater to students at the school, then it's clearly not a freakish decision to outsource it. Might be less likely for incoming Freshman but only because they/their parents may lack relevant info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your child disabled?

No, he's a slob. (Yes, I tried to teach him to be neat, but his bedroom is a disaster and he wore his swim trunks around the house last weekend because he was too lazy to do his laundry). But he is a good student on a full scholarship, which I am thrilled about, so I'm thinking about doing it for the first year. Plus, I pity his roommate.

Both of my sons did their own laundry starting at age 12. It is not really that difficult. Did your son ever have to do any chores around the house?

[Anonymous]

Don't baby your big boy anymore. He can work the washer if he's as smart as you say he is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your child disabled?

No, he's a slob. (Yes, I tried to teach him to be neat, but his bedroom is a disaster and he wore his swim trunks around the house last weekend because he was too lazy to do his laundry). But he is a good student on a full scholarship, which I am thrilled about, so I'm thinking about doing it for the first year. Plus, I pity his roommate.

Both of my sons did their own laundry starting at age 12. It is not really that difficult. Did your son ever have to do any chores around the house?

Yes, of course he does chores. He cleans up the kitchen after dinner most nights (dishes, etc.), and he voluntarily cooks sometimes. He also spends a lot of time with his sister, who has Down Syndrome, and helps out taking her to doctor appointments, etc., and he does this without being required to do so. In addition to working hard enough at school to have obtained a full academic scholarship.

But I'm getting him the laundry service no matter what you think. I am kind of regretting that we did not have him apply to any of the schools in his dad's country, where there doesn't seem to be such a vitriolic reaction to something so inconsequential as how his socks get washed in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your child disabled?

No, he's a slob. (Yes, I tried to teach him to be neat, but his bedroom is a disaster and he wore his swim trunks around the house last weekend because he was too lazy to do his laundry). But he is a good student on a full scholarship, which I am thrilled about, so I'm thinking about doing it for the first year. Plus, I pity his roommate.

As his future employer, may I suggest college is a really great, natural opportunity for you to stop the helicoptering?

As a professor, may I second that?

If you want him to have the option of a laundry service then include a reasonable sum in whatever spending money you're providing. If he wants to spend it on laundry, great. But he has to learn to prioritize, juggle, and figure things out for himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is your child disabled?

No, he's a slob. (Yes, I tried to teach him to be neat, but his bedroom is a disaster and he wore his swim trunks around the house last weekend because he was too lazy to do his laundry). But he is a good student on a full scholarship, which I am thrilled about, so I'm thinking about doing it for the first year. Plus, I pity his roommate.

Both of my sons did their own laundry starting at age 12. It is not really that difficult. Did your son ever have to do any chores around the house?

Yes, of course he does chores. He cleans up the kitchen after dinner most nights (dishes, etc.), and he voluntarily cooks sometimes. He also spends a lot of time with his sister, who has Down Syndrome, and helps out taking her to doctor appointments, etc., and he does this without being required to do so. In addition to working hard enough at school to have obtained a full academic scholarship.

But I'm getting him the laundry service no matter what you think. I am kind of regretting that we did not have him apply to any of the schools in his dad's country, where there doesn't seem to be such a vitriolic reaction to something so inconsequential as how his socks get washed in college.

Hi OP,

I hope you're still reading even though no one answered your question. I had a laundry service for my first three years of college and I also had a full ride to college. It worked out great! I filled my laundry bag once a week and since it was never full I washed my sheets and towels every week too and would even tell my roommate to throw her stuff in if I had extra space. The bag was returned two days later folded and wrapped so all I had to do was put the clothes away. The service never ruined anything and would even separate out items that needed to be hand washed or dry cleaned and send them back to me separately untouched. They would also return cash I left in my pockets in a small envelope. I did not do a load of laundry until I was 21 and somehow managed to be able to do it ever since along with all of the chores I now have to do.