| Contrary to popular teen perception, parents | | | | do their laundry either. Where were their |
| don't like to rag endlessly. It's just a | | | | mothers? |
| necessity due to our knowledge of basic | | | | |
| scientific principles like that germs can | | | | Complimenting the kids' fleecing of foul |
| make you sick, or even worse, smelly. | | | | odors were clothing "extensions." The kids |
| | | | were supplementing their wardrobes with |
| While we are mildly entertained by some | | | | clothing items begged, borrowed or bought |
| excuses our children use for not doing what | | | | new, rather than putting the dirty ones in a |
| we ask, most leave us lukewarm. Like my | | | | machine, adding soap and pressing a button. |
| children's latest, "But Mom, we're concerned | | | | After all, lifting a finger might bring on a |
| for your finances and we're saving you a | | | | debilitating condition, like developing |
| fortune in water bills by not doing laundry." | | | | personal responsibility or breaking a nail. I |
| | | | also found out that my children and their |
| What a load of ….dirty laundry. | | | | friends were in a conspiracy, passing their |
| | | | clothing back and forth to support their bad |
| The concern for finances was touching but it | | | | habits for weeks. (It all says Old Navy - how |
| didn't hold water. I should have been tipped | | | | was I supposed to know?) |
| off when I passed my son's room and had | | | | |
| un-explicable high school flashbacks. Now I | | | | To keep our kids clean, we moms have started |
| get it. My locker was near the boy's gym for | | | | our own 12 step program. Twelve steps to the |
| four years. | | | | washing machine, every weekend. And like 007, |
| | | | we use special intelligence tools: laundry |
| My bad for not conducting weekly room | | | | pen markings to identify our own kids' |
| inspections or checking laundry soap bottles | | | | clothing in secret locations that only we are |
| for changes. I missed the sledding hill-sized | | | | privy to. Not very high tech but we don't |
| pile of laundry in the corner and the | | | | have access to a spy lab and Money Penny |
| impacted laundry hamper needing the "Jaws of | | | | won't put our calls through to Q. |
| Life" to extricate the clothing crammed | | | | |
| inside. I'm hoping the wrinkles from being | | | | Now I conduct unannounced hamper inspections, |
| semi-permanently pressed through the lattice | | | | routine spot checks and have a designated |
| work sides like meat through a grinder will | | | | laundry day schedule. It's a strict regime, |
| work out in the wash. | | | | but I'm hard pressed to find a better method. |
| | | | |
| I fell for the oldest trick in the book - | | | | As for my kids' money saving excuse, they |
| disguises. Apparently, if you use enough body | | | | need to learn to spin a bit better. We have |
| spray or perfume, it works like olfactory | | | | well water and don't pay a dime for it. I |
| whitewash. My dad hated perfume and if anyone | | | | broke the good news, and they looked very |
| used it he would say they smelled like a | | | | relieved. Or was that reviled? At any rate, |
| French whore. Once I asked him how he knew | | | | those drips are going to wash and dry all |
| what they smelled like. I never got an answer | | | | weekend. Sweet. |
| so it was all very fishy. I guess they didn't | | | | |