Laundry Blues?

Do you find yourself buried beneath mounds of laundry as you try to

separate darks from whites? Well, this became a weekly event for me, as

the laundry piled up until the weekends. I was forced to wash

everything together, struggling to reach the end of my task. Needless to say,

the whites were no longer white. There was also a real challenge to

keep up with the folding and ironing; inevitably, my baskets grew and

they grew and they grew. The children were frustrated because they

could not find their clothes under the one big pile of clean laundry.

Then, Alhamdulillah, a thought dawned on me. Why not give each

child their own basket for their rooms and train them on the ABC’s of

laundry? If the children do not have enough clothing for a load, then

delay their laundry for a few days or add in their linens. If there

are very few whites, perhaps you can combine the family’s whites into

one load. It may take some time getting used to, but don’t worry, when

your child runs out of underwear, they will let you know in a hurry

that it is their laundry day. As a working mom, staggering the laundry

fit well with my schedule. Insha Allah your laundry room will no

longer overwhelm you either!

So, my laundry tip is to invest in a few funky laundry baskets, one

for each child, and help them help you with their laundry. This builds

responsibility and allows a parent to give their child individual

attention, along with some pleasant conversation over a warm load of

laundry.

By Shameeda Mohammed- Rasool

Shameeda Mohammed-Rasool is a Canadian mother of four children. She graduated with a degree in Toxicology and works full-time.  She enjoys spending time discovering teenage life with her children and tackling the tarbiyah issues that come with parenthood.