Dollars and Sense

I ran across this article the other day in which a new mom discussed how life post-baby had changed in a dramatic way - hitting the family budget. While some costs are expected - the hospital bill, all the gear that must be accumulated, the never-ending parade of diapers - for this author, the surprising and previously unconsidered cost was in utility bills. With an infant in the house, the heat has to be set higher. With someone home all day with the baby, the lights stay on longer. And the laundry... don't even get me started on how the laundry has increased.

Is there something on my shirt?

I totally agree with the article. And the frustrating thing is, there's not much we can do to stop the torrent of money flowing through our wallets. After all, heat is rather necessary in the middle of winter. Clothes have to get washed, even if it's in cold water, and even if the machine is packed so full that one last baby sock is just not going to make it in, sorry.

The article got me thinking about what unexpected changes to my daily domestic chores has surprised me the most. And right now, laundry is at the top of the list. And it's not Violet's clothes I'm talking about. I know she's going to get dirty, be it snot or drool or food smeared everywhere. This is not news. What has shocked me is how filthy my clothes get. And I know how to use silverware! It seems like all Violet's grubbiness is destined to end up on my clothes about four seconds after we reunite at the end of a school day. It's reached the point where I change into "house" clothes (aka sweat pants) as soon as I'm home because I can't handle the washing and ironing and dry cleaning that goes along with my work clothes. Today I showed up at school in what I thought was a totally fine sweater, only to discover once I was in my classroom that there were at least three Violet stains (food, snot, something indeterminate) gracing me with their presence. I swear, there are some days I end up more covered in goop than she does.

So our laundry bill has definitely gone up because of our child, just not necessarily in the way I expected.