Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] unschooling after homeschooling ANDcleaning rooms
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In a message dated 6/20/02 9:49:13 AM, debra@... writes:
<< Choosing to not clean
the socks until someone is completely out of them and
complaining about it is a parent's decision. It is not
natural. It is just another punishment in "sheeps
clothing." >>
If I consciously thought "AHA! Kirby's socks have not been in any of these
five loads of laundry!" then it would be malice and entrapment on my part.
But I do most of the laundry, and I do it as it piles up on the floor by the
washer. There's a laundry chute from upstairs. The kids bring laundry when
they want to, it gets washed, dried, put on the couch downstairs, and maybe
folded and re-delivered. If through all of that ongoing repeating monotonous
process one kid has gone a week without putting anything in the laundry room,
I'm not tracking that.
When they were little it was my job to put their dirty clothes in the right
place, because I was the one who helped them change clothes. At 15 and 13 I
don't make them do all their own laundry (sometimes they help, sometimes they
do some), but neither do I remind them regularly, nor do I "punish" them.
But if their socks are all gone, it's because their socks are still in their
room and were not by the washing machine.
I see no reason to withhold privileges from them in addition to being the
washerwoman.
Sandra
<< Choosing to not clean
the socks until someone is completely out of them and
complaining about it is a parent's decision. It is not
natural. It is just another punishment in "sheeps
clothing." >>
If I consciously thought "AHA! Kirby's socks have not been in any of these
five loads of laundry!" then it would be malice and entrapment on my part.
But I do most of the laundry, and I do it as it piles up on the floor by the
washer. There's a laundry chute from upstairs. The kids bring laundry when
they want to, it gets washed, dried, put on the couch downstairs, and maybe
folded and re-delivered. If through all of that ongoing repeating monotonous
process one kid has gone a week without putting anything in the laundry room,
I'm not tracking that.
When they were little it was my job to put their dirty clothes in the right
place, because I was the one who helped them change clothes. At 15 and 13 I
don't make them do all their own laundry (sometimes they help, sometimes they
do some), but neither do I remind them regularly, nor do I "punish" them.
But if their socks are all gone, it's because their socks are still in their
room and were not by the washing machine.
I see no reason to withhold privileges from them in addition to being the
washerwoman.
Sandra
Karin
This is how I handle laundry in our home.
I just do it.
I don't feel it's a big deal or a burden.
I have a laundry basket in my room.
Our house is fairly small and rooms close together.
Usually every day at some point, my kids throw their dirty clothes into the
laundry basket in my room.
Every 3 days or so I do laundry.
I sort darks, lights, and whites.
I go into the kids rooms to get any dirty clothes that haven't been put in
my room yet, making sure to pick up stray socks even in various places of
the house sometimes.
I hang the clothes to dry on a clothesline and bring them in and fold them.
Sometimes my dh helps me do this part.
I put the clothes away or sometimes leave it for my kids to do. (my boys are
9 & 11)
I remember my mom always did laundry for us this way, sometimes I helped,
sometimes I didn't.
Maybe at some point I'll suggest that my boys start doing some of their own
laundry, but there may be a problem with that. They have so few clothes that
before they could justify doing a full load of laundry, they'd probably have
run out of clothes to wear a long time ago! Especially a load of whites and
even pants/shorts.
I don't know - I just see doing laundry as one of my "mom" jobs.
Hope I'm not "spoiling" my boys, maybe I'll feel differently as they get
older, but for now *I* make sure they have clean clothes to wear.
Karin
"Debra Kattler" <debra@...> wrote:
I just do it.
I don't feel it's a big deal or a burden.
I have a laundry basket in my room.
Our house is fairly small and rooms close together.
Usually every day at some point, my kids throw their dirty clothes into the
laundry basket in my room.
Every 3 days or so I do laundry.
I sort darks, lights, and whites.
I go into the kids rooms to get any dirty clothes that haven't been put in
my room yet, making sure to pick up stray socks even in various places of
the house sometimes.
I hang the clothes to dry on a clothesline and bring them in and fold them.
Sometimes my dh helps me do this part.
I put the clothes away or sometimes leave it for my kids to do. (my boys are
9 & 11)
I remember my mom always did laundry for us this way, sometimes I helped,
sometimes I didn't.
Maybe at some point I'll suggest that my boys start doing some of their own
laundry, but there may be a problem with that. They have so few clothes that
before they could justify doing a full load of laundry, they'd probably have
run out of clothes to wear a long time ago! Especially a load of whites and
even pants/shorts.
I don't know - I just see doing laundry as one of my "mom" jobs.
Hope I'm not "spoiling" my boys, maybe I'll feel differently as they get
older, but for now *I* make sure they have clean clothes to wear.
Karin
"Debra Kattler" <debra@...> wrote:
> Is this really a natural consequence? I mean can't the
> problem be prevented? A parent can go into the room and
> put them in the laundry if that's what it takes or take a
> basket and ask the kids to throw their socks in when they
> are putting in a load or whatever. I'm sure there are many
> ways to not end up in this situation. Choosing to not clean
> the socks until someone is completely out of them and
> complaining about it is a parent's decision. It is not
> natural. It is just another punishment in "sheeps
> clothing."
>
> Debra
>