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Public Toilet Laundry
Being a parent sometimes feels a bit like you are plugging holes that spontaneously appear all over the domestic front. Maintaining the status quo takes so much effort.
Laundry
The process by which one washes ones clothes. Best done fairly regularly.
It is important to note that the amount of laundry that a household is required to do increases exponentially with the addition of each extra member.
Laundry is a case in point – you never get it all done – as soon as one load is finished the next is already mocking you from the basket.
Another example of hole plugging is preparing to go out. A five month old and a newly toilet trained toddler require a lot of bits and pieces to be brought out with them – not least extra changes of clothes.
It was one day whilst out – that Alex had had his third accident in quick succession, and we were out of clean clothes. Well as they say ‘necessity breeds innovation’ and father was left considering his options in the public toilet. It was then that genius struck. (Modest).
“Public Bathroom Laundry”
The process by which one washes the clothes of accident prone children in a public bathroom. The primary method is to use some of the ubiquitous supply of baby wipes that such persons travel with to dab, scrape, lift, blot and flick foreign materials from clothing. Clothes can then be dried by using one of the bank of hand driers conveniently located on a nearby wall. Urine soaked clothes (after being blotted with readily available toilet paper) can be dried completely in approximately ten minutes.
Strange looks that may be afforded in your direction will be offset by an inner smugness and satisfaction that you have prevailed.
This practice has been an excellent addition to my ‘out and about armoury’. I almost relish the opportunity to disappear with a sodden child in to the toilet and come back out with all appearing to be normal.
I will have to admit that since discovering this practice through Alex, I have had to make use of it myself, as things have been spilled or stained. The smug feeling that covers strange looks when dealing with a child, does not unfortunately copy over when said items of clothing are clearly those of a grown man.
Being a parent sometimes feels a bit like you are plugging holes that spontaneously appear all over the domestic front. Maintaining the status quo takes so much effort.
Laundry
The process by which one washes ones clothes. Best done fairly regularly.
It is important to note that the amount of laundry that a household is required to do increases exponentially with the addition of each extra member.
Laundry is a case in point – you never get it all done – as soon as one load is finished the next is already mocking you from the basket.
A further example of hole plugging type activity – is preparing to go out. A five month old and a newly toilet trained toddler require a lot of bits and pieces to be brought out with them, not least extra changes of clothes.
It was one day whilst out – that Alex had had his third accident in quick succession, and we were out of clean clothes. Well as they say ‘necessity breeds innovation’ and father was left considering his options in the public bathroom. It was then that genius struck. (Modest).
“Public Bathroom Laundry”
The process by which one washes the clothes of accident prone children in a public bathroom. The primary method is to use some of the ubiquitous supply of baby wipes that such persons travel with to dab, scrape, lift, blot and flick foreign materials from clothing. Clothes can then be dried by using one of the bank of hand driers conveniently located on a nearby wall. Urine soaked clothes (after being blotted with readily available toilet paper) can be dried completely in approximately ten minutes.
Strange looks that may be afforded in your direction will be offset by an inner smugness and satisfaction that you have prevailed whilst facing adversity.
This practice has been an excellent addition to my ‘out and about armoury’. I almost relish the opportunity to disappear with a sodden child in to the toilet and come back out with all appearing to be normal.
I will have to admit that since discovering this practice through Alex, I have had to make use of it myself, as things have been spilled or stained. The smug feeling that covers strange looks when dealing with a child, does not unfortunately copy over when said items of clothing are clearly those of a grown man.
Filed under Holidays, Our Family, Potty Training, Toddler Behavior
Tags: Children, Family, Fatherhood, Funny, Holidays, Humor, Kids, Life, Parenting, Personal, Potty Training, Thoughts, Toddlers, Vacation
7 Comments
09/07/2009 at 14:10
oh, to have had a bank of hand dryers available last weekend at the restaurant, as we too, ran out of clean clothes and had accident number 2 (which was accompanied by a VERY loud “I’m having an accident” announcement in the middle of the restaurant). But alas, the new trendy restaurant was apparently not so green and had opted for paper towels only.
Kudos to you!
10/07/2009 at 06:52
You are a smart man and dad. I am impressed. I just carried a Mary Poppins size “diaper” bag a friend gave me (no, it wasn’t your typical diaper bag) and loaded about six months worth of clothes in there. It was a year’s worth when there was two. Those days are far behind me, but I miss my Mary Poppins bag.
10/07/2009 at 10:38
“Strange looks that may be afforded in your direction will be offset by an inner smugness and satisfaction that you have prevailed whilst facing adversity.” I can apply this to many facets of life. Pure gold.
Great post!
10/07/2009 at 13:09
ingenious! I bet that would be really nice in the winter too, the fresh out of the dryer warmth of the clothes…
10/07/2009 at 14:48
We always bring a diaper bag with new clothes just in case of these accidents.
I also take a ziplock bag to put dirty wet clothes. So in the public restroom, we rinse, squeeze dry and insert in bag. If it’s a disaster of a mess, sometimes I just put it in the bag seal it and throw it in the trash…RIP.
10/07/2009 at 19:58
Aha! I told my wife that this was a perfectly acceptable way to get around carrying extra (or at least so many extra) clothes!
I’m totally printing this out and handing it in as evidence.
11/07/2009 at 05:27
“The smug feeling that covers strange looks when dealing with a child, does not unfortunately copy over when said items of clothing are clearly those of a grown man.”
Does this line come from experience? If so, I know a great doctor over here in the states you should check out