Laundry can feel like an endless nightmare for parents. No matter how much progress society makes, sending your kids to school without clothes is still frowned upon. This means you’ll find yourself tackling mountains of laundry every week for years on end.
Before you become a parent, you may find yourself blissfully folding tiny outfits, placing them into an immaculate dresser in the nursery that has yet to be tarnished by the chaos of toddlers. You can’t possibly fathom how much of your life will revolve around these adorable little garments for the next 18 years. But it will, trust me. Don’t just take my word for it, let the hilarious parents on Twitter enlighten you about the relentless struggle that is laundry when you have kids.
- Oops.
Funny how after a week of work and kid-wrangling, you end up spending your weekend in that ancient company t-shirt from your spouse’s softball game seven years ago and a pair of shorts with a questionable hole. - Same here.
The rhythm of my life is dictated by the washing machine’s agitator. It’s a never-ending song. - Lights match.
They say practice makes perfect. Dreaming of setting the laundry on fire feels like a healthy coping strategy, right? Whatever works! - Laundry is a given.
Like death and taxes, parenting and laundry go hand in hand. Just like love and marriage or your partner’s habit of misusing the heavy-duty cycle. - Sorting is overrated.
Wouldn’t it be cool to own an alpaca instead? - Don’t even move.
My partner and I engage in week-long standoffs over who will fold and put away the laundry. It’s a hill I’m willing to die on—a hill made entirely of laundry. - Lol.
At least you can say you gave it a shot. - Brb, praying for the rapture.
Laundry may just be the first thing I abandon in a post-apocalyptic world. - Thanks, little buddy.
When your kids offer to “help,” just pour yourself a glass of wine and rub your temples. Acceptance is key. - 99% effective.
Keep in mind, each child you add to your family means multiple extra piles of laundry to deal with daily, until they finally move out. - Uh, no thanks.
Slow down there, clothing labels. I’m not even sure I still own an iron. I might have tossed it during a feng shui purge back in 2003. - Does… does that actually work?
This kid is on my wavelength—maybe if we hate it hard enough, the laundry will just spontaneously combust. - If only you knew.
Your teenage self would be shocked at how much joy you find in a few hours of silence to crank out some laundry. Blast the New Kids on the Block while folding—best of both worlds!
This article was originally published on July 21, 2016. For more parenting insights, don’t forget to check out this post about home insemination kits for an interesting take on family matters. For tips on keeping your little ones clean, visit Sniffer Soothers, a great resource. Also, UCSF’s Center is an excellent source for pregnancy and home insemination information.
In summary, the struggle of laundry as a parent is real and relentless, often leading to humorous insights shared by parents online. It’s a never-ending cycle, much like the love and chaos that comes with raising kids.