The author said she realized her anger wasn't ajust bout dryer balls.
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My four kids have had chores since they were young. I believe that many hands make light work and that teamwork in a family home is important. I also know that chores teach kids life skills they can carry into adulthood.Because there are six of us, we each have a designated laundry day for our clothes, sheets, and towels. Each of my four kids, the youngest being 9-years-old, does their own laundry on their day.Sounds good, right? It was, until it wasn't. Of all things, a dryer ball did me in. Looking back, I'm glad it did, because it sparked an important change in our family dynamic.It was my day to do laundryIn our house, we use wool dryer balls, dabbed with a skin-safe essential oil with every load of laundry. Every time it was my laundry day, I would find only one or two (of my supply of 10) dryer balls waiting for me. This happened for weeks on end. I would repeatedly ask my family to return the dryer balls they accidentally scooped out of the dryer with their laundry and took to their bedrooms. Yet, week after week, I would, on a good day, have only two dryer balls at my disposal.Recently, it was my laundry day, and there it was: one graying, dingy ball, all by itself in the dryer, lonely and rather useless. Rage filled my soul. I'm convinced part of my anger could be blamed on perimenopause (estrogen, where art thou?), while the rest of my rage felt like hurt. My needs weren't considered — as they often aren't when you're a partner and mom.Was it my job to once again beckon and plead for missing dryer balls? Deal with the sighs and "not now; I'm busy" replies? Should I create a wanted poster and offer a reward?
