Monday, January 4, 2010

Towel Dry

The children have a big pile of soft, fluffy towels available for their bathing and drying pleasure. Except that the children seem to be unable to remove a single towel from the storage cabinet. Somehow two or three towels escape onto the bathroom floor where the unused items are trod upon by ungrateful, wet feet before being kicked or dragged (often by those same offending feet!) across the hall into a bedroom.
Once relocated to a child's bedroom, the towels have developed a habit of remaining hidden in dark unfrequented places until the Mildew Fairy comes to visit. Eventually, the still damp (now stinky, too) towels are rescued from their hiding places to be washed in hot water and vinegar until all signs of previous mistreatment have been rinsed away. Until the next time a kid showers.
This laundry cycle of abuse has gone on for years. And Mama has griped about it periodically for years. The mister has spent as many years suggesting that each child be assigned a color-coded towel (just like Mama did with the children's plastic dishes in their Pre-K days) to help ascertain whose towels are being properly cared for, and which individuals need further instruction. Today is the day when Mama goes to MegaMart for towels that will leave no question as to ownership. This afternoon will likely bring a chorus of groans and recriminations from our offspring. But the future? The future will hopefully see the little darlings with children of their own who throw clean laundry in the floor, hide damp towels for the Mildew Fairy, and haven't the least bit of contrition for the extra work created by their actions.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good system! We keep towels on a rack all the time so no one has to dig in a closet/cupboard. Amazing how kids are with laundry, isn't it?

Kathy said...

Oh I remember those days well! Your idea sounds like a winner. Let us know how it goes!

Fannie said...

Heh, a friend of mine (with four kids)got them all monogrammed towels one Christmas!