Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It's just laundry - nothing to be embarrassed about

213 replies

Aparecium · 08/04/2024 14:49

I took the family's clean laundry off the airer, folded it and put it in a basket. I gave the basket to 17yo ds and asked him to sort it and put piles of clean laundry on everyone's beds for them to put away.

When dh does the laundry, he either tells people to claim their kit straight from the airer, or he sorts it as he takes it off the airer, so the dc who distributes it just has to pick up ready-sorted piles.

Apparently ds told dh that he prefers dh's way, as he was embarrassed handling his mum's and his sister's underwear.

YANBU - it's just clean clothes and ds should be grateful he wasn't asked to put on a load as then he would be handling dirty laundry.

YABU - give the bashful teen boy a break.

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheets · 08/04/2024 15:07

4 females here but I sort mine then tell them to sort theirs or I inevitably get dragged into arguments about who’s taken who’s Zara top, pants or socks!

if he prefers DHs way and DH agrees fab! He can be in charge of laundry from now on.

KreedKafer · 08/04/2024 15:06

Mummame2222 · 08/04/2024 15:02

That’s pathetic. Is his attitude towards women in general poor?

Oh, do give over.

shepherdsangeldelight · 08/04/2024 15:05

I can see why a teen boy doesn't want to handle women's underwear.

Also, your current way is inefficient. So I'd either go with DH's way, or, when you take the clothes off the airer, fold it into individual piles for each family member. Then there is no need for a secondary sort.

Geebray · 08/04/2024 15:05

I'm in my fifites, a woman, and I don't really want to sort out my mother's undercrackers 😄

KreedKafer · 08/04/2024 15:05

You can't really police what someone feels embarrassed about. Feeling embarrassed is just a thing that happens, it's something we can control. And teenagers are usually much more prone to embarrassment than any other group; they find almost everything embarrassing one way or another"

Your DH's way sounds like a more efficient process anyway.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 08/04/2024 15:04

Mummame2222 · 08/04/2024 15:02

That’s pathetic. Is his attitude towards women in general poor?

Good point. Is your son a terrible person? I think that's what the OP was getting at. LTB

SirenSays · 08/04/2024 15:03

At 17 I'd be expecting him to help with every stage of family laundry, dirty and clean. Unless you gave him your bondage gear, embarrassment about some pants is OTT

Mrsjayy · 08/04/2024 15:02

I mean when we had 3 females in the house my dh wouldn't know who's bras was who's.

Mummame2222 · 08/04/2024 15:02

That’s pathetic. Is his attitude towards women in general poor?

Afraidofthedarke · 08/04/2024 15:01

Yup I agree with your husband too!

Geebray · 08/04/2024 14:59

I agree with your DH's method. No teen boy wants to be handling his mum's undies!

Mrsjayy · 08/04/2024 14:57

Yes your husbands way is better then there is no pant dispute your poor son i know it's "just underwear" to you but to him it's a huge deal and embarrassing.

5128gap · 08/04/2024 14:54

Your Hs first way is the most efficient, getting everyone to grab their own stuff. Cuts out two stages in the process. Failing that I'd sort into piles for people to put away. It's not so much about embarrassment, more that there's no way my family would have reliably known which garment belonged to which person.