Doing laundry

So. Having 5 kids in our house means doing lots of laundry. We are trying to teach the kids to do their own laundry. We have gone so far as to put separate baskets in each room.

After a week or so we noticed the pile of dirty clothes growing and nothing being done, so we took them all down stairs and started washing. I don't mind folding laundry, generally it is a time I can watch Netflix. After folding all the laundry, I usually make observations. Uniforms for school are the number of days they went to school. Sporting events are accounted for. If no towels come through, I can look at which towels are missing and go upstairs to wash them, same true of bedsheets.

On more than one occasion, I have folded Elis laundry and noted that for the entire week, 5 uniforms, 5 pajamas, plus any sporting clothes/shorts.... and yet only one pair of socks, only one pair of underwear. I broached the subject with Eli. He admitted that he doesn't change every day. He also admits to wearing his socks to bed. The same socks he has been wearing... all week...

This is a kid that is a germ-o-phobe. he washes his hands and uses alcohol whenever...

The ironic thing, is that I can use this same pile of laundry to keep track of bathing habits for the other kids too... and to know when they have had "accidents"

When I became a parent 11 years ago, I don't think anyone prepared me for having to check my kid to make sure he was changing underwear after bathing.

And along those lines, I know why my parents only ever bought one brand sock, in one size, for 4 boys, Smart....