What then? Laundry... laundry is today's topic of choice.
Folding my son's clothes have become quite the task. The bigger he gets the more clothes he acquires. (This makes sense, yes?) Yes, you may not believe it, but I am a husband that does laundry.
What do I hate to fold the most? Towels and putting away our clothes, the adult clothes... (I'm not talking about lingere.) So, put MJ's stuff into the mix and boom... that is more laundry. So, who does the laundry folding in your home? Is it dad or mom... both?
I am sure there are those few men who help out around the house. (If I am offending you hold on... I am not being sexist.. just asking a question re: gender roles.)
As I sit on the floor, surrounded by mis-matched blue, white and the occassional red socks, 3-6 month onesies and the like, I wonder... do all husands/fathers do this? I mean I want to be the first to tell you this is a choice I make on my own. My wife does not "instruct" me to do anything. My wife does a lot... and I want to make sure I am pulling my own weight as a member of our family. I like to think that all chores, in the house, are shared between my wife and myself.
Although, she does 90% of the cooking... ok maybe 95%, and I do the dishes, on most nights... (I hate cleaning pots!)
As I sit folding my son's orange oneise that says "My dad is my hero," I cannot help but try and envision my male friends and fellow blogging fathers surrounded by mounds of baby clothes, burp clothes, blankets and wash cloths... and somehow I am at a loss and cannot do it. Do other dudes do this or am I the only one? Is this considered "mom's" job in your house or do you take turns?
I picture some men watching ESPN while their wife is upstairs folding their kid's clothes or I can just hear some guys whenever the *ding* of the drying sounds... "I'm off to the gym honey!"
Am I the only dad that folds his kid's laundry? Honestly, for my peace of mind... I really wanna know!
13 comments:
LOL! This blog is too funny (and I remember having those same socks as the one in the picture you put up! They look so small, now! I digress...) Yes, Stephen will on occasion fold Caleb's clothes...not as often as I do. In fact, we have a pile sitting at home waiting on one of us to fold it...and I am pretty sure who will end up doing it! I do have to say, that I hate to fold clothes...but folding baby clothes is so much easier and less time consuming that it usually gets done first! Although, as they get bigger, it does get less fun to fold them! LOL
No Eric you are not the only Dad that folds. Kelly folds and does the laundry along with the dishes at our house.
Mandy
I wonder about these things too. 'Am I the only guy that's wiping someone elses butt and picking someone elses nose and right now?'
We both do his laundry. Just depends on who puts it off first for the other one to do.
I'm gonna start an anti-feminist movement...call it...feminots. Care to join?
We hang most of my wife and I's clothes which is what I hate the most.
If I had a choice, I would fold towels over hanging clothes. I have the theory that if the article of clothing is smaller then my underwear then I shouldn't have t fold it and it should just be tossed in a drawer, lol.... the wife doesn't like that idea.
you are not alone - I do the laundry. I hate it, but I do it (of course I need some reminding to get my butt in gear). However, Ash likes to do the folding - she claims that it's "fun." I also do the ironing which I think is fun. We're nuts. But still, folding the girl's clothes, I used to do that and practically got arthritis from it.
In any case, you're a good guy for doing this. Laura's going to really love you when you're on kid #6 (Zod).
We do not have "gender" based chores...
Our kids are getting old enough to help now - so that helps...
After dinner they all have chores to do - one cleans the kitchen, one cleans the bathroom, one cleans the entryway (and those jobs rotate each week) with one job left for the youngest. Our 5 year old makes sure there is food and water in the cat's bowls...
Can you imagine the laundry from 6 of us (now that the oldest is out on his own)? We could wash two loads a day. And if you forget a day - then it's four loads the next day. So you can imagine how bad laundry is.
My wife does MOST of the laundry - but I do some of it too... I don't mind folding because I'll turn on the TV - Radio - or some music to help pass the time.
So, to answer you question... No - you are NOT the only one!
Permit me to be blunt - my wife is domestically-challenged. Were it up to her, we'd do laundry about once a month, the bathrooms would never get cleaned, the floors seldom vacuumed.
If I want it done - and I'm more than a little OCD about cleanliness - I'm the one who's going to do it much more often then not. (I can abide a certain amount of clutter & disarray, but can't tolerate dirtiness.)
I'm a laundry ninja - my wife never knows when or how, only that it gets done. Usually, I fold towels, undergarments, socks, etc. while I'm watching recorded TV shows late in the evening after our little guy has gone to bed.
I clean the bathroom during my son's bathtime - something with which he's more than happy to oblige me with an occasional helping slosh of soapy water.
I loathe the automatic dishwasher (since you have to scrub dishes before you can stack 'em in there anyway) and instead handwash whatever few items are dirty immediately after meals so they're available next time and it never takes too long.
Yup, I'm a domesticated Dad for sure. I can't (well, ok won't) change the oil in my car, but I can cook & clean.
Giving credit where it's due, however, MLW does handle the bill-paying and other paperwork tasks.
Eric, you rock! William also does the laundry at our house. (Except the clothes I handwash and my work clothes because I think they are all full of germs and I have to wash keep them confinded from the rest of the laundry - nursing paranoia).
He is the number one person to wash and dry, but I help. We both stink at getting the clean stuff put away, but oh well!
I have folded so much laundry over the past few years that I am being considered for a first ballot induction in the laundry HOF. Although Mrs. LIAYF does like to do Lukes clothes since she finds them so darn cute.
To answer your question, your wife is one lucky lady! With 5 of us in the household laundry has become my worst nightmare. Here is what my typical laundry day (yes I said day, not week) looks like!
http://8792nuthouseplace.blogspot.com/2008/11/mom-on-mission.html
Ehhhh laundry. My wife recently took up ironing and I do think that will last not last too long. I will not take that job.
We split the laundry. I clean the showers, we split the cooking, she does the ironing, I kill the bugs, she dust, I sweep and vacuum the stairs. We do the 50-50 thing.
I have always been the laundry dude. Learned at an early age - 6th grade. My sisters would not wash and fold my tighty whities. Anyway I do most of the washing, but we both do the folding. I think of it as foreplay. :)
Nope. Let us count the ways we fathers help out around the house:
Here "we"
- Cook at least 50% of the time
- Wash dishes at least 60% of the time
- Wash/Fold clothes probably 30% of the time, although this varies. Right now CareerMom is doing the bulk of it since she's home
- Sweep/Mop floors
- Vacuum
- Dust as appropriate
- General Kid Duty (baths, cleanup, etc)
Oh and "we" also:
- Take out the garbage and recyclables
- Mow/landscape yard
- Fix crap
...etc.
No, I think most responsible fathers are pulling their weight these days.
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