Organizing a Laundry Room

We have four daughters. The laundry piles up quickly. I often contemplate how a sweatshirt can end up in the chute on a 95 degree day or why girls need to change their outfits so many times. With that in mind, I have created some solutions to our laundry situation that get the kids involved and help minimize the work. Maybe some of these tips will be helpful to you.

Note: My girls are 10-14, but I've been using these solutions for several years now. Children can be very capable when we give them the chance to take responsiblity.
Hang a double hook for each person in the laundry room. This hook can serve multiple purposes. Use it for bookbags or coats and use it for sorting laundry. As the laundry comes out of the wash, hang it on the hook for that person. You can even let each child pick a photo of herself to frame and put over the hook. Another option is to paint the name of each person above their hook. Have family members take their own laundry up to their closets daily. Also, to keep the cycle going, have them bring the dirty clothes to the sorting baskets and hang up empty hangers in the laundry area. It is part of our children's daily ritual now to do these things, but with any new change, you can expect a training period and maybe some grumbles.

Use baskets to sort clothing. My kids started sorting colors in baskets as a game at a very early age. Use different baskets for whites, lights, darks, and "special items" that mom or dad handles. Each person sorts their own laundry, preferrably daily, keeping anything requiring special care, or which is brand new, in the special item basket.


Create written instructions on how to use the washer and dryer. At our house, the older kids help with washing. I wrote step-by-step instructions on 3 x 5 cards that tell how to use the washing machine. It helps them to remember what to do and helps prevent mistakes. Be sure to explain the temperature to use, what buttons to push, where the detergent goes, etc. Keep in mind, if kids are doing laundry, your standards may have to change! You can even include instructions on what to hang and what to fold. Of course they can help sort clothes on the right hook too!

Hang a bar over the dryer for hangers and other clothing. Make sure it is high enough that the clothing doesn't touch the dryer before you hang it. This is a great place to keep your empty hangers and you can easily batch items on the bar for ironing later.

Hopefully, these tips will make laundry go more smoothly for you and your family.

Should My Child Toot her Horn?

If you are a parent, you've likely been faced with the idea of having your child learn a musical instrument. With four girls, we've had our share of music lessons. Our oldest daughter started out sweetly playing the flute for three years. Then at age 13, she suddenly asked to get a drum set. It took a while to warm up to the idea, and now we have two girls drumming. We only had second thoughts the day our neighbor, a policeman, showed up to ask us to quiet down. Apparently the sound insulation we added to our basement wasn't doing the trick. If your child hasn't started playing an instrument, you may be wondering if it makes sense to spend money on an instrument and lessons. Here are some reasons you may want to consider:

Playing a musical instrument makes you smarter. Many studies have shown that parts of the brain develop in people who play instruments and not in non-instrument playing minds. Children who start playing before the age of seven have striking brain development. It enhances coordination, concentration and memory and even improves eyesight and hearing. Some believe it crucial for total brain development.

It teaches discipline. Anytime you learn to master something, you have to set aside time to practice. This creates the process of discipline.

It creates a sense of accomplishment. Of couse at first, some instruments can be hard to learn to play, even frustrating. Over time, however, there is an amazing sense of accomplishment and self esteem for the child or adult who learns to conquer a song or a new lesson.

Playing an instrument relieves stress. Music is very relaxing, especially soft and soothing music. It is also a great activity for a child or teen to go to when they need to "be alone".

It is fun. When you play an instrument you have endless opportunties to join groups during your life where others like playing music. You can also perform at weddings or parties. Music is often part of any event that has a celebration.

Feed Your Mind and Feed the World

Did you know you don't have to have a lot of money to give charitably? Here is a simple way to give to others daily, even if only a little at a time. By playing a vocab game called freerice.com, you earn rice grains, which are in turn given to people who need them. After only a few successful tries you will start stacking up the grains, and growing your vocabulary. Soon, you can help feed hungry people in need. It's easy to play while sitting at your desk at lunch. Or get your kids to play every night before they get free computer time. www.freerice.com