Lets Talk Over Laundry ...

Right now, my children are all exhausted little humans with no schedule and no bed time.

Anybody else?

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving watching them play basketball in the backyard until they can't see anymore. And I'm loving letting them watch movies at random times during the day and using the pool to be considered "clean". 

But when the exhaustion sets in, the bickering begins. Like the really, really petty kind.

So here was me about 2 weeks ago. Sitting in my bedroom floor during nap time surrounded by about 7 loads of laundry that needed to be folded while the 3 larger of the 5 tiny humans played outside. Cue the backdoor slamming and the bickering. About what? I have no idea. And I really could've cared less. Because here is my rule: if they're you're not dying or bleeding, you are not allowed to interrupt precious nap time.

I heard the door, cringed and trotted down the stairs to resolve the issue.

And it was like this lightbulb went off. 

Clearly they needed some counseling. Some therapy. Some time to talk out the problems. 

And what better way to accomplish that than over laundry. 

All 7 glorious loads. 

So while they folded, I sat on the bed and read my book. 

And while I read and they folded, they were forced to work together as a Team and talk out their problems. It took them well over an hour to fold, hang up and put away all the clothes. 

Some tears were shed from frustration, there was some pointless rolling around in the floor and some pointing out of who was doing more work. But at the end of their first Laundry Therapy Session, they saw how much they got done when they pulled together and worked, when they encouraged one another and by the time they were done they had talked through the fight that brought them inside in the first place. 

So now, when the squabbling starts, all I have to do is say the word laundry and they turn around to figure it out on their own. 

Parenting Win. 

P.S. We have had more than one Laundry Therapy Session.

Like, we just had one today that included Kollin and Kruz. About what? I don't know. But at the end of the Laundry Therapy Session all was right in the world again.