The Advice Column

[charliechaplinfan]

Can someone tell me why my husband is burning the rubbish in the garden and has let the kids go outside with their best winter woollies on which are perfectly clean and take ages to dry when we have lots of old clothes for these things? For someone with 3 degrees he's not much common sense

[JackFavell]

Oh dear. Yes, of course that's what he's doing, he doesn't have to wash them.

[charliechaplinfan]

Well at least all the windows weren't open. I do remember my father doing it constantly, having a nice bonfire whilst my Mum had her washing on the line and was airing the house and I was the child then running around loading up Dad's bonfire. Just as we were talking about on the dogs thread, it's another instance of rolled eyebrows at Mum for bothering about clothes.

[JackFavell]

I totally understand, I get it all the time. "Mom's getting mad" and then they look at you like you are ruining the fun, and dad's the biggest of the lot.

[RedRiver]

Lord help us. I took my nephew out to play once. His mom got mad because he got dirty. Of course, he got dirty. He's a kid!

[JackFavell]

I never understood that... when Alice was little one of the moms in my group always worried about her daughter's clothes and especially shoes getting dirty... we were at the playground every day!

[Fossy]

Can someone tell me why my husband is burning the rubbish in the garden and has let the kids go outside with their best winter woollies on which are perfectly clean and take ages to dry when we have lots of old clothes for these things? For someone with 3 degrees he's not much common sense

Burning rubbish in the garden? Don`t send him to Australia, He could be Gaoled for that.

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank heavens he's here then.

I've no problem with the kids getting dirty when they're playing,there's something satisfying to think they've played so hard in the fresh air rathe than being cooped up, my washing basket is full everyday. It's them having their best clothes on because they were going out later on, that's all three of them that made a load of washing that didn't need to be done. I don't expect the kids to think about it but their Dad should. Although he is also the type to go out in the muddy garden and then walk all the way through the house trailing mud, then he'll say 'oh it'll brush up later' meaning I will have to brush it up later. It's Mum again trying to be a bit houseproud, I'm sure if I gave up the houseproud I wouldn't see the raised eyebrows as much.

[JackFavell]

No I understand, it's simply thoughtfulness on their part of what you do around the house, especially when you are not up to par. The one thing that bugs me more than anything is having to wash clean clothes that got thrown on the floor instead of put away where they should be, then dumped into the laundry basket instead because they don't want to pick them up and hang them or fold. By the time they've lain on the floor, or got mixed into the dirty clothes they have to be done all over again and it's a big pain and a waste of detergent and water. If they just thought of all the waste, then maybe it would sink in... Andrew is always going on about wasting water and electricity, but if it comes to him doing it it doesn't matter, only us. They don't have to do the wash and it means nothing to them.

[charliechaplinfan]

Our houses are so alike. I've been trying to teach Joe for some time to sort his washing and what items have to go in the wash everyday and the things that don't need to go in, like the clothes he wore for 2 hours when he was home from school before he put his pjamas on. I thought finally I'd cracked it until I thought his room was smelly and with further investigation I found that it was clothes, clean and dirty stashed in the back of his wardrobe. Now we're just back to washing everything he's worn. At least I can trust Libby as to what is clean and dirty. Then I get the look for doing ironing at weekend, after they'd filled my basket 3 times since friday and wanted items of uniform and shirts back for Monday. I should do it during the week, I do, twice and once at weekend, the iron is always out.

[JackFavell]

You are a better woman than I. I rarely iron, it doesn't seem to be needed for the t-shirts and jeans that are the standard around here. The funny thing is, I like to iron, it's one of the few chores where you can see a real difference from before to after, not like doing the dishes or laundry where the minute you get done there seems to be a whole new basket to do.

[charliechaplinfan]

Does your school not have a uniform which includes shirts for all plus Chris is a teacher and wears shirts and ties every days. And both Joe's pants and Chris's need pressing. When they have a week off there is such a difference, hardly anything needs done. Why the school needs to have shirts, pants and ties I really don't know. I quite like the ironing when I'm left alone to it.

[RedRiver]

The funny thing is, I like to iron, it's one of the few chores where you can see a real difference from before to after

I like to mow lawns! Same concept. You see the progress.

[ChiO]

it's one of the few chores where you can see a real difference from before to after

You obviously have never seen me iron.

[movieman1957]

A few weeks ago my Maureen, with her her mother sitting beside me, asked me if I would iron her blouse. Of course I did it.