Make laundry a valuable educational experience.

As promised in my "Family Fold Out" post on "How to get your family to help with laundry," here are some ideas on how to teach academic subjects to your children while doing the laundry.  

Math:
Sorting:  Sort clothes by:  owner, color, size, or type.
Matching and Measuring:  Find sock pairs according to length and color.
Patterns:  Place socks in a pattern such as long, short, medium, and have your child continue the pattern.
Computations:  Count the number of shirts.  Count the number of socks and divide to find out how many pairs they will make.  Invent story problems like:  If dad wore two pairs of socks each day for four days how many individual socks will he have worn?
Estimate:  Try to estimate how many pieces of clothing are in an average load of laundry.  Count them and keep a chart, then graph your results.
Time:  What time did you start folding clothes?  What time did you finish?  How long did it take?

Language Arts:
Phonics:  Identify beginning, ending, and middle sounds of clothes.  Sock starts with "S."  What does it end with?  What letter is in the middle?
Rhyme:  Think of real or made up words that rhyme with the clothes you are folding.  Skirt, shirt, Bert, dirt, hurt...
Synonyms:  Say different names for the same article of clothing as you fold them.  For example: shirt, top, blouse, sweater, etc.  Grab a thesaurus and learn new words.
Tell a story:  Make up a story about how Mr. Sock found Mrs. Sock.  Don't forget to include other characters in the plot such as the sweater monster, the pants tunnel, or the towel storm.  Introduce the terminology for theelements of a story.

Art:
Colors:  Identify and match the colors of the clothes.  Arrange them in shades from dark to light.
Aesthetics and Criticism:  If there are pictures or patterns on the clothes have your children describe whether or not they like it and why.  (this is third grade benchmark)
Fashion:  Talk about the fashions of the day and tell your kids about how fashion has changed in your life time and over the years.

Science:
Chemistry:  Teach the difference between solvents, surfactants, and enzymes and their roles in getting rid of stains.
Acids and Bases:  Wool is acidic and cotton is a base.  Here is a great site that explains this:  "Why you can't bleach sheep."
Experiment:  Perform some "Scientific Home Making" experiments using the scientific method and share the results in the comments of this post.

History:
-Talk about how people and cultures did laundry over different historical time periods. Here is a great resource for this:  "History of Washing." 
-Find out who invented the washing machine and dryer and when?


Foreign Language: 
Teach the names of the articles of clothing in a different language as you fold them.

There are so many ways to use everyday activities as teaching tools.  Please comment and share your ideas to add to this list.  If you found this helpful or interesting let me know and become a follower or sign up to follow by e-mail.  Thanks, Tennille

Scientific Homemaking: Save Time Making your Bed.

When I am changing the sheets I usually use the Side/Side/Foot Method (SSFM) to put the new sheets back on.  I put on one side of the sheet or blanket and straighten it, then I walk over to the other side and straighten it, then I go to the foot of the bed and straighten and tuck it in.

I wondered if all that back and forth walking around was wasting time so I developed the Clockwise Corner by Corner Method (CCCM).  This involves starting at the right head of the bed and tucking in that corner.  Then, straightening as I walk to the right foot of the bed, I tuck in that corner.  This is repeated in a clockwise fashion around the bed until all sides and corners of the bed are straight and tucked under ending with the left head corner.

I also tested two methods of putting on a pillow case.  The Pillow Stuffing Method (PSM) entails holding the pillow case with one hand and stuffing the pillow into it with the other.  The Pillow Under the Chin Method (PUCM) is when you hold one end of the pillow under your chin and use two hands to slide the pillow case up and over the pillow.

Here are the results of my study:

                            SSFM                            CCC

Fitted Sheet           30 sec.                                      20 sec.

Flat Sheet               42 sec.                                      32 sec.

Comforter              35 sec.                                       27 sec.

                                    PSM                                     PUCM

Pillow Case           17 sec                                       11 sec.

Second Case       17 sec                                       11 sec.

Totals:                       141sec.                                    101 sec.

As you can see the Clockwise Corner by Corner Method (CCC) in conjunction with the Pillow Under the Chin method (PUCM) was faster by 40 seconds!  That's over 28% faster than the SSFM/PSM Method!  What I didn't realize was that it really doesn't take that long to put new sheets on my bed.  I always envisioned it at a 5-10 minute chore, when it really takes less than 2 minutes!

This study took me 5 minutes and 28 seconds to complete which includes the operation of the timer, recording the results, transitions, and taking pictures.  That means I will start saving time after making the bed 8.2 more times.  If I change my sheets once a month for the next fifty years I could save 24,000 seconds.  That's over 6 1/2 hours!  Now the question is:   "What am I going to do with all that time?"

Note:  Scientific Homemaking was inspired by the motion studies of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.  To read more about them check out this article:  Happiness Minutes: Technology and Psychology in the Home by Mary Ann Buschka

Scientific Homemaking: Speedy Table Setting.

Setting the table is one of those chores I wish I didn't have to do. Sometimes I get my kids to do it, but often that seems like more work than doing it myself.  All that back and forth carrying things to the table seems tedious to me, especially after cooking and preparing the meal.   On occasion I will get a tray and load the dishes right onto it, then carry it over to the table to set them out all in one trip.  But, I wondered if this was really saving me time.  That is the background for this segment of "Scientific Homemaking."

Question:  Does using a tray to carry dishes to the table make table setting faster than going back and forth carrying dishes to the table?  

I tested these two methods five times each:

The Loaded Tray Method (LTM):  Load the tray on the kitchen counter with 4 plates, 4 cups, 4 napkins, and 4 forks.  Take the tray to the table and set the table in this order: plates, cups, napkins, then forks on top of the napkin as shown in the picture below.  (I chose 4 because that is the number of people in our family and we usually only need forks so I don't bother with spoons and knives if they are not necessary.)  

Back and Forth Method (BFM):  Grab four plates, walk to the table and set plates at each place.  Walk back to kitchen and grab four cups, walk to the table and set cups at each spot.  Repeat this process for napkins, then forks.

I really thought I would be saving time by using the LT Method.  Here are my results:

The Loaded Tray

                          LTM          BFM

Trial 1             67s                     51s  

Trial 2             49s                       33s

Trial 3            43s                       43s

Trial 4             41s                      41s

Trial 5             40s                       38s

Averages    48s             41.2s

Conclusion:  As you can see the BFM was faster than the LTM by an average of 6.8 seconds!  I was actually surprised by these results.  I realized that in my case the motions of loading and unloading it at the table were almost equal to the amount of time I spent walking back and forth.  My table is only 8 feet from the kitchen counter so I would guess that the LTM would only save time if the distance from the kitchen to the table was significantly greater resulting in more time wasted walking back and forth.  So unless you are physically impaired or the distance from your kitchen counter to your table is significantly longer, your best bet is to just use the back and forth method and leave the tray out of it. 

This study took about 30 minutes for me to complete.   I am going to have to set the table using the BFM 265 more times before I start recovering that time.   If I set the table using the BFM every night for the next 50 years instead of the LTM I could save 124,100 seconds.  That's about 34 1/2 hours or almost a whole day and a half of my life!  

Not only will I be saving time, but I will also be getting a small workout before my meal.  Now that's what I call multi-tasking! 

How to Get Your Whole family to do chores together as a team!

"Being part of the family means you help out with the chores.  They are just a part of life.  I'm not a king that I should be served."  -A quote from my very own Mr. Incredible.

When I was pregnant with my second child I came to the realization that with a toddler and a baby I would not have the time to keep up with the household chores to my satisfaction.  It frightened me because when my house is out of control, I feel out of control!  My husband encouraged me to make a list of the chores that I absolutely needed to have done on a daily basis in order to keep my sanity.  From then on he has helped me get all of these chores done each night after dinner.  (And that's only one reason I call him Mr. Incredible.)  

Four years later, our boys are more independent so technically I should have the time to get more done during the day.  However, the bulk of our day is now consumed with homeschooling and other activities, so we still don't get these basic chores finished.  In an attempt to instill more responsibilities into our boys, I instituted our family "Daily After Diner Chores."  

Our "Daily After Dinner Chores" Chart.  When we complete a task we move the magnet to the "done" box.

The chore chart is posted on our fridge and after dinner we immediately work on getting the list done.  The very last thing on the list is "family time" which can be as simple as a small dessert or as involved as a fun outing, depending on what we have time and money for.  This gives us all an incentive to get the chores finished fast.  

It has been so much fun watching my boys take joy in working together as a family.  As they clear the table they sing the "Dishes to the Sink" song and they even assign names to our tasks like "family fold out."  Sometimes they have too much fun and get distracted, but after some redirection from their not so giddy parents, they are back on track as our chore-busting allies.

Q:  What happens if we eat out or get home late?

A:  I try to plan ahead and get more done during the day or catch up the next day.  Eating somewhere else also means we don't have the mess from dinner in the kitchen so there is less to do.

Q:  Why don't I assign chores to specific people?  

A:  My husband had 5 kids in his family growing up and each one took a turn cleaning up after dinner.  Can you imagine been stuck in the kitchen doing dishes by hand and cleaning up after seven people all by yourself while your siblings and parents were watching TV or playing?  That sounds miserable to me.  No wonder he doesn't like to do chores!  

I don't want my kids to think of chores as a punishment or something that has to be depressing.  I want them to think of them as something that can be made enjoyable and done with a good attitude.  It's more fun to do get the chores done when you're not doing them all by yourself.  I want my kids to learn that when they are part of a team they are not finished with their job until everyone is finished!  

Q:  Why does my husband help with chores after he's been working all day?

A:  My husband works very hard at his job.  His work is physically demanding and he often comes home exhausted.  My job as a homeschool teacher and mom may not be as physically demanding, but it is often mentally demanding and time consuming and I am also often exhausted at the end of the day.  He acknowledges that we both work hard during the day.  

As a perk of being my own boss, I can sometimes assign myself an easy day or even take the day off from school.  When I've had an easy day and I'm not exhausted,  I'll complete the chores myself while the boys have some time with dad.  

My husband also knows from experience that I can get quite grumpy if I feel like my house is a disaster.  It's not pretty and I'm not proud of it, but he would rather have us both be able to rest and spend time together at night than for me to be cleaning furiously until midnight.  (And that is another reason I call him Mr. Incredible.)  

Q:  What about all of the other household chores like cleaning the bathroom, dusting, vacuuming, etc...?

A:  "Daily After Dinner Chores" are just the bare bones basic chores that I would like to have done everyday.  Everything else I do as I go or as needed.  I'll clean the shower while I take a shower.  I'll disinfect the bathroom counters while I'm brushing my teeth.  I keep disinfectant wipes handy and clean the toilet often.  I mop the floors when my kids are at their grandparents.  I dust or fold an extra load of laundry while my kids are outside playing or watching a movie.  I'm constantly picking things up and putting them away as I walk through my house.  Because I work at home, I can fit in other chores here and there throughout the day.

Q:  How did I implement Daily After Dinner Chores?

A:  First, I ran the chore chart by my husband and got the green light from him.  Then, one night after dinner I asked my kids what kinds of chores needed to be done around the house.  I asked who should do these chores.  I showed them the chore chart and asked whose pictures were on the chart.  They saw that everyone was on the chart which meant that everyone helped with the chores.  I explained that there would be a fun family time activity if we all worked together to get the chores done quickly.  I talked the boys through each chore, gave them small tasks to complete, and let them take turns moving the magnets over.  (This was fun for them.)  I kept a positive, light attitude and celebrated each time we finished a task.  If the boys got distracted I would say something like, "Uh oh, we won't be able to have a fun family time if we don't finish our chores."  

Let's face it, it's not the boys' most favorite activity, but because I've presented the chores in a fun - let's get this done as a team and reward ourselves when we're done- attitude, the whining and complaining is minimal.

Family Fold Out

The title, "Family Fold Out," was coined by my six year old.  It's when everyone in the family gathers in the living room to fold and put away the laundry as quickly as possible. So how do I get my whole family to do the laundry without a fuss?  It's part of our "After Dinner Chores."  If you haven't read this post click here:  "How to get your whole family to help with chores."  In the background you can see a white rolling laundry cart.  I got one white cart and two black ones from IKEA.  (If you click on their pictures below it will take to their IKEA site and you can buy them online. )

Only dirty laundry in the black basket.

Only clean clothes in the white basket.

The clean clothes from the dryer goes into the white basket, never dirty clothes.  Then they get wheeled out into the living room to get folded and put away.  There is a black hamper in the boy's room that my six year old is responsible for wheeling to the laundry room every morning since there are usually dirty clothes and sheets to be washed every day.  (moms of boys may understand)  He also puts the clean clothes into the white basket, the washed clothes into the dryer, and loads their dirty clothes into the washer.  (not every day, but he's still learning)

I keep another black hamper in the laundry room that gets filled with my husband's dirty work clothes, or the boy's dirty play clothes that I don't want being tracked through the house.  I usually do at least one load during the day.  The other load we finish during family fold out.

We save the easy to fold items like towels and washcloths four our for year old.  See how carefully he is lining up the edges.  This is a great fine motor skill activity for preschoolers!  

Here my six year old is stacking folded underwear.  He's getting quite good at folding.  I've had to lower my standards a little on having the clothes perfectly folded without wrinkles.  If you're stuck doing the laundry by yourself because you need it to be perfect, might I suggest letting go a little.  It's worth it to have the help, to let your kids practice and learn, and to show them that your family can work together as a team to get a job done.  If there is something folded very badly, I either have them do it again more carefully or I just redo it later when they are not looking.

Once the laundry is folded we put them away where they belong.  If one person is done putting away their own clothes then they help put away someone else's clothes or they put away towels or sheets.  Family fold out is finished when everything is folded and put away and we're just a step away from having a fun family time.

I love comments and followers!  Please feel free to share your own ideas about laundry or other chores.