Khaki-colored Wisdom

Written by Jen Sunday, 19 July 2009 00:21

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In my washing machine right now is an extra-large load of clothes, all khaki-colored or brown. Seriously, when did "neutral" become a color family?

I've never felt so boring.

Since I purchase most of the clothing for this family, I should own up to the fact that I am probably the one with the wacky earth-tone taste. While this is mildly disturbing, even more problematic is the amount of laundry I do in this household. Yesterday alone I washed a load of blacks and blues, an entire large load of yellow and several loads of whites. Oh my. We're that predictable. And I am spending way too much time doing wash. I fully realized this a month ago, while ironing--you guessed it--khakis.

So I decided to do something drastic. You know, shake things up a bit.

I went to Target and bought a laundry basket for my oldest son. I placed it at the foot of his bed--where I noticed a pile of formerly clean, folded garments--with these instructions: "You are now responsible for all of your own laundry. I am not touching it ever again."

He shrugged.

For those who successfully taught your children to operate the washing machine at age seven, allow me to defend myself. My children were exposed to this wisdom. But I have been inconsistent in my demands, except with rancid football gear or gym clothes forgotten in the locker for a semester. My eldest child will, however, occasionally run a load of self-purchased weekend garb, which is much more colorful (and apparently valuable) than the rest of the family's stuff. Still, these moments of laundry independence are irregular. With college a mere year away, it's well past time to be insistent.

Now one less pile of garments sits in the laundry room and the washing machine has been amazingly silent. Curious, I strolled into my son's room today and discovered a massive pile of clothes beside his basket. Perhaps we should revisit the instructions once more.

Clothes go in the basket. Wash them before they mildew. Wash them before you run out of essential items. Here's how to sort. Here's how to measure the detergent...

Once he masters these basics, I'll ask him to teach me how to move beyond khaki.