Laundry Tip for Teamwork

A big weekend for us caused an eruption of laundry mountain on our couch.

Laundry mountains can be intimidating for parents and children with this task on their “to-do” list.

No one really wanted to tackle the pile alone.

Teamwork to the rescue!

Seeing the size of the pile brought immediate discouragement. It was larger than usual. I decided to brave the task and take the initiative (though I didn’t really want to). Pushing clean clothes aside, I sat down and began folding towels.

Starting with the bath towels—the biggest items in the mound—the large pile began to shrink, noticeably, faster.

Five bath towels later, progress became evident. Suddenly, the pile seemed amazingly smaller, doable. At that point, I knew I could ask a few helpers to join me and they wouldn’t be quite as overwhelmed.

I encouraged the smaller team members to find the socks and washcloths—something manageable for them. And, I started a conversation with the oldest helper, a subject that mattered to her. Within 10-15 minutes we had mastered the task and began to deliver piles to their destination. Task accomplished, we shared a few high fives and words of encouragement.

Teamwork had conquered the chore and helpers felt empowered by their contribution.

To the dishes…after a snack and some math.