Baby Steps

Since January 2019, I’ve realized that my son is not the only one who has to take baby steps. I am also taking baby steps because my little requires my attention in mounds. Let’s examine my laundry process Before Child (B.C.) and After Child (A.C.).

B.C. I used to wash my clothes and put them away in one easy swoop of the household management wand.

However, the A.C. laundry life is very different. Here is my laundry process:

• Line the laundry basket(s) with a laundry bag.

• Fill the laundry bag and basked.

• Cinch up the laundry bag when it is full, so I know that I need to wash that load.

  • Yes, A.C. my brain is so fried I need to remind myself that I need to wash my clothes.

• Take the clothes down to the laundry room.

  • Run the washer.

  • Switch to dryer.

• Bring the clothes up to my apartment.

• Dump clothes on the bed.

• Sort the clothes by room and/or person.

  • My clothes.

  • Hubby’s clothes.

  • Baby clothes.

  • Kitchen.

  • Bathroom.

• Further sort my clothes by:

  • Underwear

  • Bras

  • Socks

  • Tees

  • Tanks

  • Pants

  • Workout pants

  • Sports bras

• Fold kitchen and bathroom laundry (usually towels)

• Hang up my clothes and put away underwear.

• Place kitchen laundry in the kitchen.

• Place bathroom laundry in the bathroom.

• Put baby’s clothes in his room, and sort them into his dresser.

B.C. laundry was one afternoon.

A.C. laundry is a weekend event that might spill into the week if we have other weekend events.

I’m learning to honor this new phase in my life. There will be a time when I will miss my little. (I already miss my little, as a very, very little.). And in this phase of my life I am realizing the value of my own baby steps as much as I am valuing the time I get with my little’s baby steps.

Instead of getting frustrated that laundry takes all weekend because in between each step I have to stop and clean up after my toddler, I am learning to celebrate each step.

In this phase of my life, my home is not the organized, minimized shrine it once was, but I am working through this phase to build new systems for this phase of my life.

I call this phase baby steps.

What phase is your organizing, minimizing, and general home management in?