Parenting Fails and Wins

After his soccer game on Saturday, I insisted that Bentley take a shower.  He did so, but left his dirty clothes on the floor of my bathroom.  I've been trying to teach my kids to put their dirty clothes in the hamper, insisting that I won't wash things that aren't in the hamper.  I really don't think that's asking too much, but based on the nagging I have to do each time to accomplish this, apparently it is.  So THIS time, rather than say anything about it, I just left the dirty clothes on the floor and washed everything else.

Then yesterday, at his practice, I realized that he was wearing those same shorts again!  Gross!  I made sure he showered after that, too.  And then today, after he'd left for school, as I collected laundry from the various hampers (we're up to three, now), I realized that they weren't in any of the hampers.  Which meant he'd worn them to school without my noticing.  And they still haven't been washed.

My kid is probably the gross, smelly kid at school.

Those shorts are so loved.  And they are pulled up so high...

So the minute he walked through the door today, Bentley got a lesson in how to do laundry.  His shorts are in the washing machine right now, of his own doing.

One of these days I WILL get through to him.  (AND HIS FUTURE WIFE WILL THANK ME.  No, actually, she probably won't.  But I like telling myself this anyway...)

I'm still trying to decide if I should make him shower again...




P.S. This is also why I don't bother buying a lot of clothes for my kids-- Bentley has PLENTY of other shorts he could wear, but this pair is his favorite, so he wears them all the time and acts like I'm the meanest parent of all time if he has to wear something else (even if it's the pair of shorts that were his favorite, before he got this newest pair).  I shouldn't buy him any other clothes at all.