A Wake-Up Call: The Day Laundry Changed Everything
Six months postpartum, running on little sleep and overwhelmed with endless baby laundry, I expected my husband to understand when our washing machine broke. Instead, he barely glanced up from his phone and shrugged.
“Just wash everything by hand—people did it for centuries.”
That moment made me realize something had to change.
The Endless Laundry Pile
Before having a baby, I never imagined how much laundry one tiny person could generate. Every day became a cycle of feeding, cleaning, comforting a fussy infant—and washing. So much washing.
Tiny onesies, burp cloths, blankets, and bibs filled our hamper daily. On a good day, I managed to keep up. On a bad day, I lost count.
So, when the washing machine sputtered, let out a grinding noise, and stopped mid-cycle, I panicked. I pressed buttons, unplugged it, plugged it back in. Nothing.
When my husband, Billy, came home, I wasted no time.
“The washing machine stopped working,” I told him.
“Huh?” He barely looked up from his phone.
“We need a new one soon.”
Billy sighed. “Not this month.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I already promised to help pay for my mom’s vacation. She really deserves it.”
I stared at him. His mom’s vacation?
Billy continued. “She’s been helping out with the baby. I thought it’d be nice to do something for her.”
Helping out? His mother came over once a month, sat on the couch, watched TV, and ate the dinner I cooked. That wasn’t babysitting.
“Billy, when was the last time she even changed a diaper?”
Billy hesitated. “That’s not the point.”
I let out a short laugh. “Oh, I think it is.”
He rubbed his face. “Look, can’t you just wash everything by hand for now? People did it for centuries.”
I stared at him. Handwashing everything, on top of everything else I was juggling? But I knew arguing wouldn’t change his mind.
So, I exhaled and said, “Fine.”
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