***No children were harmed in the making of this laundry managing development process***
I've been saying I was going to post this for a while now, so I'm finally getting around to it! :)
One of the biggest things to manage with a large family is the laundry...not complaining, simply stating a fact! I struggled for years at how to simplify the process. My family continued to grow and therefore, so did the laundry! We finally developed a solution that has made the whole thing so much less of a never ending battle for our family and wanted to share. Albeit, we do have a rather large laundry area in the unfinished part of our basement, so for those with less space, you may have to tweak accordingly, but here it is...and yes, I DID wait until it was all caught up and the bins weren't so full they were spilling over into each other to take this picture! :)
We've taken plastic storage bins and labeled them with colored construction paper squares. I also wrote the name of the color on each square so that depending on the age/reading level of each of our children, all can participate and learn....even the 3 year old! These are the "dirty" bins where the clothing gets separated. When full, the whole bin can simply be dumped straight into the washer.
On the opposite side of the room there are plastic storage bins labeled with each family member's name. As the laundry gets removed from the dryer it is placed in it's "owners" bin. The older kids are responsible for folding and putting away their own laundry. The younger ones (and mommy & daddy)....well, let's just say our dressers/closets aren't used as much as before. ;) I do cave and fold it all once it becomes so full I can't find anything anymore! lol!
The only thing that has made the laundry process for our family easier than this has been the over-sized washer and dryer we had to purchase when our old ones kicked the bucket last year. They cost a little extra, but we went with the HE Maytag Bravos series and the capacity is amazing! Really! I can have ALL the bins overflowing and get it all caught up in a single day! (oh yea, and they are both see-through which has provided hours of entertainment for us all! lol!)
So there you have it. One of the sanity saving survival tips of a large family.
I recently shared about Children In Families (CIF) and wanted to link you to their new website. By the grace of God, the Jones family is being used to make a difference and it's very exciting! Check them out when you have the chance, Cambodian Apostolic Ministries, and pray for their efforts and increased support.
MEET SEMPALA!!!!!!!! Isn't she just lovely!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited I can hardly sit still to type this!!! This is our sponsored child through Amazima!!! Their sponsorship program is one of the ways God has allowed our family to tangibly reach out to needs across the world from us. We are so excited and so blessed to "meet" our sweet new friend! Her photo came along with a picture she had drawn and autographed. :) (yes, I did cry!)
In addition, we received our One Girl bracelets this week too!!! We each have our special girl to pray for each day now, Nadmin, Niru, Nalam & Bina.
***No children were harmed in the making of this laundry managing development process***
We've taken plastic storage bins and labeled them with colored construction paper squares. I also wrote the name of the color on each square so that depending on the age/reading level of each of our children, all can participate and learn....even the 3 year old! These are the "dirty" bins where the clothing gets separated. When full, the whole bin can simply be dumped straight into the washer.
On the opposite side of the room there are plastic storage bins labeled with each family member's name. As the laundry gets removed from the dryer it is placed in it's "owners" bin. The older kids are responsible for folding and putting away their own laundry. The younger ones (and mommy & daddy)....well, let's just say our dressers/closets aren't used as much as before. ;) I do cave and fold it all once it becomes so full I can't find anything anymore! lol!
