Laundry…The Silent Killer

The following is a guest post from Sabrina of Mom Mentor. 

For those of you moms out there who love to remove stubborn stains, fold clothes, and hand wash your delicates…this post ain’t for you.

For the rest of us, who dread the never-ending nightmare we call laundry, rest assured, there is a light at the end of this deep…dark…long…and monotonous tunnel.

With four kids, laundry could easily take over my life, but with these few adjustments, I have been freed from the fangs of fabric softeners….and so can you my friends, so can you.

Here are four tips to help “lighten your load” (pun intended):

#1 – DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

No really…stop stressing over stains, spills, shrinkage and lint balls. They are just clothes! Soon your littles will grow out of them and won’t think twice about that outfit you tried to keep in pristine condition. You can waste so much time and energy on those small details that you miss the bigger picture…time with your kids…or better yet…time for yourself! So let that small stuff go! Tuck a few special pieces away as keepsakes and pass along the rest.

#2 – STEP AWAY FROM THE HAMPER!

For all of you control freaks (I mean Type A personalities – I am one, so I can say that), this will be hard…but it will pay off in the long run. Perfect drawers do not equal perfect parents. News flash! No one cares what your kids drawers look like.

Instead, teach them how to fold and put away their own clothes. We started this when our kids were two years of age. It started with socks and undies and graduated to pants and shirts. A little coaching and training might make your chore a little longer at the front end, but remember, we are in this for the long haul. I am happy to say three out of four of my kids do ALL of their own laundry now, from start to finish, and have been for quite some time. We had them completely take over their own dirty clothes by the age of 7 or 8. We are working on our five year old now, moving him up that ladder of responsibility. (Because boys can and SHOULD do laundry too!! Can I get an “Amen”!)

And by the way, your littles will LOVE helping you out. They thrive when given responsibility. So do yourself AND Your kids a favor…STEP AWAY FROM THE HAMPER. Slowly drop the Princess Poppy Panties and Captain America Underoos and allow them to put away their own clothes all by their big selves!

#3 – GIVE THEM A LAUNDRY DAY

This one is gonna be short and sweet. With multiple kids this is a must, otherwise you will have WWIII on Sunday night when everyone is trying to have clean clothes for school the next day.

So set a schedule and keep the peace. That’s it. Told you it would be short!

Are your babies still too little to do any of the above….well you are gonna love this last one!

#4 – HIRE A TEENAGER TO DO YOUR KIDS LAUNDRY ONCE A WEEK!

I’m not even kidding. For probably $10-20/week you could pay some teenager to come over to simply fold and put away all of your laundry! (Mind blown moment…I know!) That is $ well spent my friend. So hire a teenager, give them some spending money and gain some free-time. Just imagine, instead of folding the mountain of clothes that are going to be staring at you again in just a few days (depressing, I know), you could read a book while in a bubble bath sipping from your new Mom Life Must Haves 20oz tumbler, or binge watch old seasons of The Bachelor in your favorite MLMH t-shirt, you could take a nap in that same t-shirt because it’s THAT comfy, or go shopping with your super cute MLMH tote on your shoulder! (Okay, a little overkill, but I’m totally cracking myself up right now!)

The point is, invest in your sanity and stop thinking YOU have to do it ALL. I’ll let you in on a little secret…there are no trophies to win for first place parenting, so give it up and let this part go. Be free sister, be free.

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Sabrina is a mother to three girls and one boy. She is a also a pastors wife, freelance graphic designer and mom coach! She resides in beautiful San Diego where the sun shines every day. She prefers chai lattes over coffee, mac-&-cheese over vegetables and staying in over going out. You can find her spouting off mom advice at www.MomMentor.org and you can check out her Carpool Confessions on her Instagram stories. www.instagram.com/sabrinaschlesinger