How do your towels get folded?

Photobucket

My husband doesn’t fold the towels the same way that I do.

This troubled me for years. I appreciated that he was helping, but I was always re-folding so that the towels would stack perfectly in the cabinets.

Never mind that other clutter was taking over my house, those towel cabinets needed to be straight!

I had adopted a ‘no underwear folding’ philosophy years before… what was my problem with a few towels askew?

Last May I was talking with the husband of a friend of mine and another mom. And, yes, somehow the subject of folding towels came up. And each of us was a little obsessed with the way to fold towels, and yet each of us had a very different style.

It was then I realized that perhaps I could just turn my stack the other way and it would still fit properly in the cabinets. And it was then that I realized that perhaps I should just accept my husband’s help, stack with his folding mixed with mine and just be thankful the job is done rather than re-do.

And so now I more fully accept his gestures of love, support and folded towels.

Oftentimes doing it ‘my’ way doesn’t really help with the workload but adds to it. I am now thankful to accept his help, however he wants to share it. When he doesn’t do something my way, I’m now more likely to think about it before I jump and offer my ‘guidance’ as to how something ‘should’ be done.

And he is more willing to help. And that totally Works for Me.

What about you? If you are married, how do you accept your husband’s help?


Comments

13 responses to “How do your towels get folded?”

  1. I like it, This is great comments & I found a lot of useful tips.

  2. That’s an important lesson! I’m not particular about towels, but I’ve had to learn the same thing about other parts of the home. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned about accepting help from my partner is that sometimes he can help me by telling me I do NOT have to do that thing RIGHT NOW but can let it go until I feel more up to doing it, instead of running myself ragged. For a long time I felt like he wasn’t “helping” if he didn’t actually do the chore FOR me so that I still had to do it later, but after several experiences of finding the chore much easier at a better time, I have learned how wise and kind to me he really is. :-)

  3. Somebody's Mimi Avatar
    Somebody’s Mimi

    42+ years… I fold everything and sometimes things still don’t work right! I did make a mistake about 42 1/2 years ago… I did his laundry before we were married, he showed me how he liked his underwear folded, I did it and I am still doing it! His get folded, he will put them away when I ask. Mine on the other hand are just put in my underwear drawer… why fold them? He likes to cook on the grill so he prepares the fish, meat, chicken (whatever) on the grill and I do the salad and vegtables in the kitchen. I don’t even think he would know how to dust or vacuum. I guess I would rather do these things than try to teach him then get upset because he does it wrong… I mean not my way. Oh he does help make the bed.

  4. I don’t have little systems for everything. My Mom did…and I could never quite attain her standard of perfection, so I won’t call on my family to do this either. I don’t have a specific way I fold towels. If they fit in the cupboard, that works for me.

    My husband is a gourmet cook. I accept his help in the kitchen whenever possible. :)

  5. I do accept my husband’s help in folding laundry and dishes. He actually does the dishes much better than I do. I don’t let him wash the laundry because bad things happen.

  6. Great post! I learned a long time ago that my husband won’t help out if he feels like I’m not satisfied with what he’s done, espcially if he’s noticed I’ve re-done it. I appreciate his help too much. Now I just smile, say thank you and move on!

  7. I think that is something that is so hard for us to do…. accept help from people (husbands, kids, mother-in-law, etc) because they don’t do like our way. There are some things my husband does that, even though he is helping, it drives me nuts. We’ve been married 10 1/2 years and I just now am figuring out I need to accept the help and move on. He IS helping and I should be thankful… not complaining! :-) It is SO hard for me though!

  8. I accept my husbands help a lot these days as a kidney transplant patient 6 months out but I am itching to do it myself. I had lots of towels to fold and little energy when I called my two boys in to help. I even showed them how I fold them. They weren’t perfect but it got done and they loved helping and it was fun. I guess that is what it is all about.

  9. Caroline Avatar
    Caroline

    I’ve just learned to accept that when he unloads the dishwasher, things wont always be where they should be. But I do appreciate that he’s helping me out by unloading it. One less thing for me to do.

  10. You know, it really depends on the task. I find kitchen chores I’m VERY opinionated about. That’s my “workspace”. I’m not allowed to clean my husband’s office, so I figure I can boss him around in my kitchen. :)

  11. Hehehe… I’m the one not permitted to fold the towels in this household. Maybe Hubbie should read this? But.. well… maybe not. Because I might have to fold towels too!

    (I should mention I cannot STAND touching a towel to fold it. Texture issue that is totally weird there.)

    Take care!
    Dee

  12. I won’t name names, but SOME PEOPLE think that if they constantly do something the “wrong” way, they won’t be asked to do it again. That doesn’t happen with me! I don’t care which way it gets done as long as it gets done. My boyfriend vacuums because it is one task that I hate. But I don’t ask if he moves all the furniture, etc, I just know that it gets done and that’s all that matters! Don’t sweat the small stuff and always except and appreciate a helping hand. :-)

  13. Great post! I’ve given up “perfection” on just about everything when it comes to hubby’s help b/c I’m more grateful but (I so had to laugh because) I still hold on to the towel folding thing – so… he folds his, and I fold mine. LOL

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *