Have you ever wondered how a large family keeps up with all the laundry? I don't know how others do it, but I can tell you my secrets.
First of all, I don't do laundry. Yep, it's true. Well, almost true. I hardly ever do laundry. Truth is, unless someone has an accident or kids are sick, laundry isn't one of my chores. I make the soap, buy the fabric softener, and teach the kids how to do laundry. I'm like the laundry supervisor. You could say, I've been promoted. Sure, I've had plenty of days with clean, unfolded laundry piled so high on the couch that there wasn't anywhere to sit. I've spent many a Saturday making sure the washer kept running with the only goal for the day to get to the bottom of Mount Washmore. It was getting overwhelming! So, a few years ago we tried something new.
I went out and bought laundry baskets for each child over the age of four and made room for them in the laundry room. I started making chore charts and assigning laundry to the kids' daily chores. Our chore chart changes every so often, but right now I have the age eleven and older kids washing one or two loads of laundry on different days of the week. One child has two loads on Mondays, another does one load on Tuesdays, etc. When they take the clothes out of the dryer, they sort everything into their siblings' baskets and fold whatever is left. Each child with a basket is responsible for folding and putting away their own clothing. My husband puts away his, mine, and the four years old and younger kids' clothing and the towels, bedding, etc.
Does it always run perfectly? No. Like I mentioned earlier, kids get sick or accidents happen. Sometimes kids just "forget" to do their chores and laundry piles up. Sometimes the washer breaks down. Everyone has "those days" occasionally. We have ours too, and if it isn't getting done every day, it piles up fast! Then we have to take a Saturday to catch up. However, if it is running smoothly, and kids are getting their chores done, we do very little laundry on the weekend.
It isn't perfect. We don't know who to blame for lost socks. Often we are looking for a t shirt that's gone missing, only to find it in a crumpled heap in someone's unfolded basket of clothes. Lights get washed with darks, although unless the clothes are new, it doesn't seem to make a difference. No matter what happens, it gets done, and the couch is always available.
I've found that there are benefits to doing laundry often.
1. Our kids don't need as many clothes. Three or four days worth is plenty for each of our kids. Any more than that will end up sitting in the bottom of their drawer.
2. We don't end up with stinky laundry that has been sitting in a hamper for several days.
3. We can almost always find something clean to wear.
4. We have more time for other things on the weekends.
I pray that you have found something helpful or insightful here, and that you get to the bottom of your own Mount Washmore soon.
Do you have any questions about large families? Leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.
Proverbs 31:26-27
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.