Mother of a Man-Child

As the mother of two teenage boys I find it interesting to observe their “practical” approach to all things related to clothing.  It’s definitely the low maintenance variety for my two.  Unlike my young daughter who already changes her outfits several times a day on the weekends, boys are more likely to wear the same thing for several days – until it walks itself to the laundry!

Some examples:

• They only wash clothing if you ask them to clean their rooms or literally collect items off the floor.   Otherwise they would leave them there indefinitely – I kid you not!
• In Man-Child II’s case, if you don’t wash it in time he will happily retrieve it from the dirty clothes’ basket, for another wear or five.  What’s a little bit of dirt anyway?  Doesn’t deodorant cover up everything?
• Man-Child I recently added his school jumper to the washing basket.  When I asked if it was actually dirty after only three days of wear in term four, he explained it was “ages” since it had been washed.  Yes, you guessed it, the recent three-week school holiday wasn’t a good time to have it laundered!  It obviously spent that time in his bag, probably alongside some moldy sandwiches – gross!
• I noticed an unfamiliar pair of runners at home this week.  It seems the common practice at school is if someone leaves something unattended, it’s finder/keepers.  So Man-Child I is the temporary owner of a pair of second-hand runners (hence we bought him some new ones today).  When I asked if this happens often, they assured me only if you left stuff lying around at school (no doubt the evolutionist Darwin would think it was perfectly normal behaviour).
• We also seem to have an odd assortment of spare jocks at our house, destined never to be returned to their owners.  I am constantly assured that they were “gifts” – I certainly hope new and not second-hand.
• And I am regularly washing other boys jumpers that my men-children have borrowed.  On the average weekend they leave home ill prepared for Melbourne’s four seasons in one day so invariably return with additional belongings.  What annoys me most is when I wash them ready for returning to their rightful owner only to see my son wearing it again.  Grrrr.

You may be thinking, don’t sweat the small stuff.  What does it matter – I don’t have to wear their dirty clothing?  And if it’s not washed because it hasn’t made it to the laundry, it’s not my problem is it – they’ll soon learn where the laundry is?  And if random clothing enters our house – again, not for me to worry about.

My problem is I like clean – clean boys, clean clothes and clean bedroom floors.  It goes with my clean house.  Ask anyone who knows me – I don’t like mess, I like my orderly, organized life.  Oh well – we can’t all be perfect can we.  🙂