We Need Dirty Laundry
by Richard
No, the title’s not speaking metaphorically. This is actual, physical, stinky wrinkled dirty laundry. When they were younger little dudes, I used to do all their laundry. It was an all-day Sunday kind of thing, eating up almost every single hour in the day just to get them clean clothes.
As they got older, though, I started making sure they would be the ones to put away their clean clothing after I washed, dried and folded it. I’m a firm believer in having the young dudes participate, to the level of which they’re capable of at a given age, in the upkeep their lives demand.
The two older young dudes, Sarcasmo and Zippy the Monkey Boy, then got the shock of their young lives when I started telling them that from 7th grade and on, they were in charge of their own laundry. They had to gather it up. They had to bring it downstairs and sort it into darks and lights. They had to put the clothes into the washing machine, pour in the soap and the fabric softener and set the cycle. They had to move the clothes from the washer into the dryer and from there to fold them. Then they had to put the clothes up.
Needless to say, they weren’t all that happy with this sort of development. Well, said I, tough. It’s a skill every young dude and dudette needs to know. As early as college, they’re going to be on their own and have to do their own laundry. There’s no way they can pack enough to last them the entire semester. Thank, FSM for small favors.
I’ve got a friend, a lady who has a young dudette getting ready to head off to college. This young dudette has never done her own laundry. She has no idea at all how to do it. My friend, the mom, is frustrated that her daughter didn’t pick this sort of thing up as the years rolled by. I’m just laughing. There’s no way for the young dudes and dudettes to pick this sort of skill up without having to do it week in and week out, getting them used to the process. Until they can do it on their own without prompting.
Of course, we’ve still got issues. Sometimes, Sarcasmo and Zippy the Monkey Boy will go three weeks without doing laundry. Which means they’re wearing clothing several times, without actually washing them, contributing to the dudefunk. And, when they think I’m not paying attention, they’ll fold their clean clothes and then slide the basket back into their closet, all without putting away any of the clean bits. Then just cover the clean clothes with dirty so I won’t be able to tell. Which, to me, seems to negate the whole purpose of actually washing the clothes to begin with.
Still, it’s an important skill for these young dudes to know. I’m glad my mom made me learn when I was younger. I have a feeling my young dudes will feel the same. Eventually. Maybe.
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