4 Moms Discuss Laundry, Labor, and Clothes Management

The 4 Moms of 35+ Kids are answering reader questions this week.

Here are a few of the questions I have been asked recently:

Since you’ve given birth so many times, I’d love to hear tips on managing labor pain and laboring well (if even possible!)

I have birthed 8 children. With the first 2 births, I had an epidural upon being checked into the hospital, and I never felt an uncomfortable twinge of even one labor pain. No pain! Except for the needle being jabbed into my back. I actually had to get a sedative before I could be still enough for the doctor to stab the needle into the proper soft, fleshy part of my back. (shudder)

The third birth happened so quickly that there was no time for an epidural and even though I was slightly traumatized by the pain (I had read all about “pressure”, but this was PAIN!), I realized the painful part had been very brief.

So, with the 4th and subsequent deliveries, I decided to try to manage natural, unmedicated childbirth. You’ll find everything I wrote about my method of keeping calm and focused at that link, which is the first of a three part series.

How do you store and organize the outgrown clothes?

For years, we have stored out of season clothes in the garage in plastic storage boxes, as seen in this post about storage solutions.

But, I am super excited about the new construction that is happening at our house as I write this, because the new bedrooms have HUGE closets with lots of built in shelves!

So, my new plan is to put all out of season clothes in the appropriate girls’ closets, according to size. The in season clothes will be hanging and in dressers. The out of season clothes will be in the plastic tubs on the upper shelves.

I am almost giddy thinking about it, and any child who goes through said out of season box without express, written, signed, witnessed, and notarized permission is likely to witness a grown woman’s head explode.

But that won’t happen. Will it, kids? (Smockity children all shake heads slowly and deliberately.)

How do you handle laundry and keep it all organized?

(Smockity children laugh hysterically.)

Well, if you want to know the truth, laundry really is my weakness.

The fact that it is never done, unless everyone in the family is naked, is what gets to me. And even then, there is probably a naked, chocolate covered baby rolling around on the bed sheets, so then you were all naked for nothing. And really. Who wants that? No one. That’s who.

The other element that snags me up with keeping laundry done and organized is the actual folding it and putting it away. Mainly because I am always aware that if it is put where it belongs, the drawers will be hanging open, barfing out their contents, because we have seven girls sharing a total of 3 dressers in our small house.

But in anticipation of our expanded living space, which should be completed in 2-3 weeks, I have been buying dressers at garage sales and message boards, so that each girl will soon have her very own dresser! (the giddy again)

As soon as everyone is moved into their new quarters, with their new empty dressers, the laundry procedure will go as follows:

• Each child will have his or her own personal hamper, which will be kept in his or her closet, where all of the respective dirty clothes will be diligently placed.
• Each child will be assigned one day a week to do all personal laundry, which was in his or her own hamper, (right, kids???) and bedsheets.
• One a particular child’s laundry day, he or she will be responsible for washing, drying, folding, and putting away all laundry from the hamper, and making the bed.
• Mom will assist all children ages 6 and under with above procedure.
• Mom will wash parents’ clothes and all towels on the day the 2yo has laundry duty.
• Any veering from this procedure is grounds for being banned from the family for ever and ever amen.

Now, be sure to visit the rest of the 4 Moms of 35+ Kids team to see what questions they are answering today!

• Raising Olives
• The Common Room
• Life in a Shoe

Be Sociable, Share!

•