Do you know what day I love around here? Saturday.
Isn’t Saturday everyone’s chore day? I can remember Saturday mornings when I was little…
(cue harp… taking me back to when I was 15…)
The sound of the vacuum at the foot of my bed with my Mom yelling “You’re not up yet? Well, I am. And I’m vacuuming already! You should get up and help me clean!”
Just kidding. Kinda. Love you, Mom.
Anyway… chore day. Saturday. On Saturdays, I get help!
Yay! Says the peanut gallery in my head!
Even though the help is usually in the form of two tattling boys (Jack’s not cleaning, Michael’s being mean, etc.), it’s help. And I am grateful.
The boys do mirrors, floors, counters, and lately, laundry. Yup. From putting the wash in the washer to putting the clothes away in their drawers.
Help with the laundry is my favorite because the first time they did it, Michael said “Mom, we should stop changing our clothes so much because then we wouldn’t have to fold all these clothes.”
Hallelujah, Michael! (Yes, I had to google the spelling)
The boys couldn’t do laundry for the longest time because Michael couldn’t reach the laundry detergent. Excuse the exploitation of the 9 year-old for a second while I make my point:
And to be honest, even if he could reach it way up there, I didn’t need him spilling it. Have you ever had to clean spilled laundry detergent? Not fun.
Believe me when I tell you that doing their own laundry just isn’t the same when they can’t put their own detergent in the washer and dryer sheets in the dryer. Because then it’s ME doing the laundry and THEM folding it.
Recently I found these. 3-in-1 laundry sheets. Detergent, fabric softener, and anti-static “stuff” all in one. Michael can reach them and I don’t have to worry about him making a mess and spilling anything. He sticks one in the washer, then transfers all the clothes AND THE SHEET into the dryer.
The amazing part? The people at Purex don’t market this stuff to parents! I have yet to see a commercial or magazine ad that says “Hey, Mom… If you want your kid to do laundry for you, buy these!”
Personally I think it’s a great marketing strategy, but there’s obviously a reason why I am a speech therapist and not a marketing guru.
If you click here, there’s a coupon for $1 off your purchase of these amazing little things. They retail for under $6 a box, and there are 24 sheets in a box.
Try them, and let me know what you think!
For more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas, go to We Are THAT Family.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that is child labor – my poor Grandchildren – never would I have put my children through anything like this.
Never heard about those sheets – I’ll have to look them up! My children always do laundry – I have 9 – so that is a huge help. My youngest (2) can empty the dryer, and the oldest 4 know how to do it start-to-finish. Makes it SO much easier and gives them such a sense of accomplishment.
.-= Cardamom´s last blog ..Wordless: Air Mail =-.
Saturday was always chore day in our house too. And I started doing laundry when I was in 4th grade. My sister and I always did our own laundry growing up. As we got older, if we didn’t do our own laundry, we didn’t have clean clothes! :) I remember being amazed when I got to college that some people had never done their own laundry before, or grocery shopping for that matter since I used to grocery shop for my Mom all the time. Parents are doing their children a disservice by not teaching them these skills, I think. Great job! :) I can’t wait until my boys are old enough for this! :)
Mom, everyone is going to think you’re serious!
That is awesome your kids do laundry! I had no idea about the 3 in 1 sheets!
.-= It Feels Like Chaos´s last blog .."I broke the door!" =-.
We did a lot of cleaning on Saturdays, too. Not only are you getting help but you are teaching your children life skills. Not just how to wash their clothes, but responsibility and independence. Way to go! I love those 3-in-1 sheets! I agree with you, they should totally market those with your angle!!
.-= Paula@Organizing Tips´s last blog ..Back-to-School: A Complimentary Teleclass Just for Moms! =-.
We did chores on Saturday too. I remember trying to race through them so I could catch some Saturday cartoons.
Good tip and I’m going to show this to my 8 y.o. so he can see that he’s not the only kid in the world with chores.
.-= jen@ourdailybigtop´s last blog ..ww: splash! =-.
What a great idea! Becca you should be getting some kind of pay as a spokesperson. :)
Obviously you are more of a marketing guru than you give yourself credit, you should expect a free case of product in the mail next week. Great job Speech Therapist/asa Marketing Mom
sorry A/K/A