Im a mother on maternity leave, with two lovely childrenone arrived five years ago and the other quite recently. Let me tell you about something peculiar thats been haunting me. Id appreciate any help untangling my strange obsession with underwear.
It all began with a list my mother-in-law handed me shortly after my wedding. There were several points, such as my husband being allergic to certain foods, which I dutifully note. But one item caught me off guard: she insisted I should always iron my husbands underpants, claiming that creased pants would irritate one particular area.
Well, alright, I thought. In a way, it seemed caringa devoted mother looking out for her son. So I followed every suggestion on her list, none were terribly difficult. But the underwear ironing surprised me, because growing up, my mum and I never bothered ironing our knickers.
Then we had our son. At first there were nappies, but when we moved him on to proper pants, I automatically started ironing his underwear as well. Suddenly, with two family members needing pressed pants, the mountain of laundry became Everest. Still, I pressed on, since my husbands mum swore that the heat and steam from the iron destroyed all germs. She even hinted that we were blessed with a son the first time precisely because underwear ironing is crucial for genital health.
But honestly, its not just about my mother-in-law; its more about managing the whole ordeal with a second baby. Its tough to keep up with everything in good time. Im sure mums of two, especially with a newborn, will understand. I try to focus on what matters, but the ever-growing hill of pants looms over me.
Yesterday, my husband announced hed run out of underwear, subtly nudging me to iron them. I was tired, so I just handed him some straight from the unfolded pile. But when I was settling down that night, he called his mum and told her about the un-ironed pants, then took offense with me. All this drama, over a heap of underwear.
Do you iron your underwear? If so, is there a magical way to speed up the process?
