One way I can be sure that summer is coming to its beautiful end is the addition of socks to the laundry.
My son has run around in Crocs since school let out. Actually, they’re the same pair of Crocs he wore last summer. He’s a slow grower. He wore a pair of 3T shorts the other day. He’s eight.
My daughter wore her black, hand-me-down sandals all summer. She most definitely did not wear the cute, brown-leather flip-flops, for which we went back and forth to the store because the size wasn’t quite right. You know, the ones that cost actual dollars.
I get used to laundry sans socks when the kids are out of school; other than softball and baseball socks, which are knee-high and black or knee-high and red. Meaning…the pair is easy to make.
My kids wear uniforms to school and their ankles have to be covered. So now, I will be carrying around a lot of socks until next June. I tote them up and down the stairs because I can’t find the mate and keep waiting for it to turn up. This is my laundry basket and the socks I carry around week to week.
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Junk Drawer Kathy
If you're insane, you could sew a different-colored patch to the heel of each sock, so you know whose is whose and only the wearer would know that they're there. Oh, wait. You're not insane? Sorry. I got nothin' else.
Amie
I think that one sock on the left is mine…
WeaselMomma
Gah, you are not alone.
Humbug to socks and the end of summer.
Tara R.
I continuously ask while folding clothes "whose are these?" My step-mom gives us all sock every Christmas Unfortunately, they all look the same. I need a Sharpie to initial each pair, then find a way to keep from having lone, mateless socks.
AlisonH
I have a friend who firmly decrees to her kids that their socks are to be safety-pinned together before being thrown in the wash. I tried that and lost some to holes created when the agitation pulled them apart. On the other hand, no more sorting.
Then I figured out the only one doing that here was me.
Sadia
I HATE sorting socks. I've found a cheat.
1. Buy each person in the family only one brand of white socks – identifiable ones. Mine have purple toes and heels. Lucas' have red toes and heels. The girls' are plain white.
2. Before opening new packages, throw away or give away ALL THE OLD ONES.
That way, all the socks of a single size match. No pairing required.
UP
My son and I wear different types of socks, that way we don't get them mixed UP!
I actually like doing laundry, I get it from my mom. I just spent the weekend there, and she washed what I wore that day before I went to bed. She's 91!!!
Deja vu city!
UP
mrsmouthy
Can't you just get socks tattooed on and call it good?
that girl
i hate laundering socks!
rockle
true story: i am actually a little bit glad that summer is over and sock season is beginning, because my daughter has almost-but-not-quite outgrown her crocs, and if she wears them to school with no socks, then she comes home with the filthiest feet i have ever seen. when her shoes were too big, the mulch from the playground kind of flapped around in there, i guess, but never got too close to her little piggies. but now i swear to god she is grinding the dirt directly into her toenails or something.
Surfer Jay
Hey those are perfect candidates for sock puppets…or cleaning rags. It's amazing how just one sock disapears and ruins the pair.
Jen
Of all people, a guy friend without kids gave me this advice…
give each kid a different colored laundry basket. Each day, do a load for each kid, and add towels if needed to make a full load. Then when drying and folding, I'll only have that one kid's socks / clothes to fold.
Davina
FOR A WHILE I GOT REAL CRAZY! I would mark the with a sharpie… J1, J2, J3 and so on… then I finally realized, that doesn't help if they don't get in the laundry in the first place! SO NOW I put all strays in a plastic Kroger bag and when I'm doing with a load of laundry and have missing ones I just throw them in there. WHEN I feel like it (or when no one has socks left) I'll start matching the ones in the bag!