My girl came to me Saturday with an armful of shirts and said those fateful words that strike fear and dread in the heart of every woman.
"Mom, will you teach me to iron?"
I'm impressed she even knew what it was called, since it's a fairly ignored appliance around here. And we could have continued to ignore it except someone had let her clothes pile up instead of putting them away properly and they were a bit wrinkled.
Sometimes I just throw them through the rinse cycle and the dryer instead of ironing them. But she was determined. So she set up the ironing board and I showed her how to add the water for the steam. She spilled a little and was absolutely horrified when I used her "favorite shirt!" to soak up the water.So I got to explain about Life Before Steam Irons and the joy of sprinkling clothes. (Anyone else out there remember the little bag you'd put them in after you'd sprinkle & roll them up? And the lovely smell if they didn't get ironed soon enough?!)
She was petrified she was going to burn a hole in a shirt, so of course I had to let the iron rest for 5-10 seconds (again, on the favorite shirt. We walk on the wild side here!) to show her it wasn't that scary.
She was aghast at the idea that people used to iron sheets (my mom didn't), and surprised when I told her how young I was when I learned to iron, carefully ironing my daddy's handkerchiefs.
She ironed quite a pile before she was done, folded them, and then walked in her room and dropped them on the floor!
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9 comments:
I had to google "iron" myself... ;)
I can't imagine my kids ever wanting to know how to iron!
My first husband liked his shirts heavily starched. When we'd visit his family, his mother would help me do the soak, roll bit and then iron. GAG it's bring back horrible memories. (He even wore his jeans ironed and I think I might have ironed his t-shirts too.) Excuse me I'm breaking out in a sweat and having some twitches just recalling this...
If my girls ever ask me to teach them to iron, I'll refer them to this post.
I gave it up YEARS ago, since I was never any good at it anyway. The shirts looked just as wrinkled after I had turned and twisted them on the board to get all the fabric.
In our family, we wear sweaters.
I remember my mom have a Dr. Pepper bottle that had a metal sprinkle spout put in it. She used that to sprinkle the clothes....yes, she is from Texas!!!!
When you got to your last line.....and dropped them on the floor...I thought yep, been there done that!!!
As a "modern woman" I don't admit to ironing. But I am familiar with the term. LOL!
i gave my dd an iron for christmas...college is coming soon...but, she has not asked how to iron yet.
I think i'll have her read your blog with a pitiful look on my face.
You'll never believe this but I am a daily ironer. I hate it but I do it.
Oh that last part says it all!
LOL! I say teach 'em young!! I've been lucky in recent years because I wear scrubs, and most of Trevor's stuff goes to the cleaners that I don't have to iron too often. Mostly just random button down shirts for Nathan on Sunday or a dress for Gracie.
Xandra
We iron a lot around here. Both my kids (now 21 and 23) know how to use the iron, too! Good for you on passing on the "torch" of the iron -- definitely a Titus 2 moment! :) And I'm like your daughter, I have clothes on the floor, too. If I'd just hang them up to begin with.
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