Finding time to do the washing when the kids are around is difficult. Putting it in the washing machine is easy. Hanging it out is easy (well for me anyway). Folding it – not so easy. Especially with a crawling baby!!!
So I’ve found 10 things that usually help to fold the washing every day:
1. The Baby
If you have a baby, just let the baby do whatever they want to do. He/she will no doubt want to crawl through, throw around, and eat all the washing in one go. My best piece of advice is to just roll with it. Put the washing in the basket as you go, and keep it up high so they can’t reach it.
2. Sorting
Get your toddler to sort the clothes into colours, or into piles of who the clothes belong to. Folding the washing can be a learning experience too!
3. The Copy Game
Get your toddler to copy what you do – show them how to fold the washing and see if they can do the same as you.
4. Tip it Out
Tell your toddler (and even the baby) to lie down and tip the washing on top of them. My kids LOVE this. They will lie on the ground rolling around in the washing. Yes the lounge does look crazy messy, but it distracts them while I’m slowly picking the bits up and folding them.
5. Sock Balls
Roll the socks up into balls and practice throwing them into the washing basket, or another type of basket. Line some toys up and “bowl” the sock balls into them and see how many you can knock down.
6. Dance
Put on a fun song that you can dance and boogie to while doing the laundry. Sometimes this is enough to distract the child.
7. Out of Reach
My biggest tip is (and I touched on this in number 1) put the washing basket (or whatever you are putting the folded washing into) somewhere out of the children’s reach. Or put the folded washing away as you go. That way you are actually making a dent in it and not going back to square 1 every time your child runs screaming through the washing …
8. Multi-task
If you need to fold the washing, and there is NO WAY you want the kids involved, then do it while you’re feeding them dinner. Sometimes I hate folding the washing during my “me time” (which is when they have their nap), so I save it for dinner time.
9. Ask
Ask your children to pass you certain items. Teach them what the different items of clothes are. My daughter LOVES helping out like this.
10. Let it Go
It’s ok if the washing doesn’t get done. We all leave it for a few days. Sometimes I leave it until the weekend when Hubby is around – he takes the kids and I fold the washing, or vice-versa.
Whatever you do, don’t stress about the washing! If for some reason you want to fold it and the kids make a mess of it in the house, it’s not the end of the day. It’s only washing. Mt Washmore is often talked about and it really is a rite of passage ….
Have you found anything that helps while doing the laundry/washing??
