Works for us and the Duggars
After meeting the Duggar family last weekend, I just have to say that I feel at peace about our sock system. During a Q & A session, somebody asked about socks in their household, and it sounds like their system is very similar to ours. It's certainly not flawless, but if it works for Michelle Duggar, it Works For Me.
Here's the system:
- All kid socks are white. For the Duggars, all girl socks are white; all boy socks are black.
- All clean socks go in one basket. (Actually, we have a sock basket for each of the 2 kid bedrooms. Might change that soon, since one room invariably has no socks while the other has 37 pairs.)
- If the socks are the same size, they match.
- If the socks are your size, wear them.
- If you have special (i.e. colorful) socks, they're your problem.
Well, she didn't exactly say it like that, but I think that's the gist of it.
It was so refreshing to meet another freakishly unusually large family like the one I came from and find that they do many things the same way. All of the children seemed genuinely happy, articulate and helpful, and there was no impression of chaos when the group moved about. This is how I remember my family when I was a child, and this is how I want our own household to feel as it grows.
I enjoyed bumping into them throughout the film festival, though as with everyone else I met I wish I had found time to visit with them more. The weekend flew by too quickly!
I was also challenged by their answer to an inquiry during a Q & A session:
Q: What is your biggest challenge?
A: Keeping up with the hearts of each of our children...
This is something that is so vital whether we have 1 child or 20, and an area where I think my husband excels, but I need a lot of work. As a mother, I find myself preoccupied keeping up with runny noses, meals and laundry.
I guess I'll get off the computer now and go spend time with a child.
Related posts:
- Taming the Sock Monster
- Socks
- Works for Me Wednesday: quick pick-ups
- Another mystery of life solved
- Surprising fringe benefits to the New Sock System
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Filed under: big family
My husband and 12 and 15 year old kids now have the same size socks. I have been toying with throwig out all theri existing socks and then buying packs and packs of identical socks so that as long as they have two socks they ahve a pair. Can’t afford to right now.
Love the Duggars! They give me something to shoot for. I have great respect for what they are doing with their family. I’d love it if they had a blog…
Kim,
I am one of your regular readers and I didn’t know if you realized that your lovely photo is on Doug Phillips blog today!!!
I had to pop right on over to see if you had linked to it yet. The link is: http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2006/10/1862.aspx (just in case you’ve not seen it yet).
Have a blessed day,
Dana
LOL, I was just coming here to tell you the same thing. What a beautiful picture of you and your dd Kim!
Hi Kim! I was so happy to see that you were on Doug’s blog this morning! You are such a blessing to me, as you are quite an example of godly motherhood. Thank you for reminding us of what is most important; namely,keeping our children’s hearts. Blessings!
Great system. I think I have seen every special on this family that I possibly can. I am just so intrigued by them!
Love your new look. I probably haven’t been by in a while, but it looks really nice!
Wow!! I bet it was great to get inspiration from them. I have admired their example. You are right about hearts. Have you read, Keeping Our Childrens Hearts by the Maxwells? I see Vision Forum is now carrying another book by them on teaching sons to provide for families. We have that one as well. The heart book is a precious resource. We have recommended it to many. God’s blessings as you continue to keep your childrens hearts.
Benita
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Benita
Oh, I love the Duggars! I love their sock idea and I’ve seen their home on television… that pantry is causing me to covet! Ha!
I think the answer about the hearts of their children really cut me down to size! I best get off this computer and go spend a little time with some very important people in my charge.
Thanks, Kim!!
Our challenge was that the socks were all one size apart. So it was almost impossible to tell until you put them on. But you have to love Hanes each size has Hanes written on the bottom in a different color.
Michelle Duggar needs to write a blog.
Shannon,
I *so* agree, but she’s probably one of those responsible moms of many that spends very little time online. oops.
Nerdmom,
I never knew that about Hanes socks – thanks for the great bit of info! Girls’ socks too? Please tell me it’s not just the boys’ styles!
Benita,
Thanks for the book recommendation. Sounds like another one to add to my bedside! I think I knew the Maxwells long ago via the Momys list, which is still going strong today.
Y’all,
Hubby showed me my pic on Doug Phillips’s blog this morning. I swallowed my sheepishness and put a link to my live-blog labor on the sidebar under Just For Fun if anyone is curious. I linked the whole June archive, since labor was start-and-stop for weeks, but the real thing was June 28.
Dancer Daughter (age 17) has a lot of beautiful socks–different colors and patterns. She just picks two and wears them whether they match each other or not. I was a bit nonplussed by this attitude at first, but now I’m pushing it with the rest. It’s kind of quirky, but not really bad, especially since we only ewear socks with pants around here, so no one sees too much sock anyway.
We buy boys ked low cut crew socks for all of the kids. I have 5 that are 6 & under and these work for all of them–the boys and the girls (girls socks are sooo expensive) and the keds boys socks are like $3.44 a pack. For the older ones they get the same type of socks and they all share. That way there is no “moooooom! he’s wearing myyyyyy socks!!!!” and they all match so I don’t have to worry about mating socks. It works for us! We are only a family of 9 so far but hoping to get bigger soon!
Hey, Kim.
I love your blog. I’m in law school, and I’m not married yet. But, I look forward to that time of marriage and motherhood w/ excitement (while treasuring this time of my life, too, of course).
Anyway, a great solution to the sock problem is socklocks. When I was about seven, my mom started using them, and I still use them. Socklocks are plastic circles with three to four little triangle/prong thingeys going inward. Just pull both socks through the circle, and the socks stay together in the laundry. I store my socks in the socklock, too. Families w/ lots of feet can still enjoy colorful and fun socks!
Check out this link to see socklocks for yourself:
http://search.ebay.com/sock-lock_W0QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQxpufuZx
[...] in your house? It doesn’t have to be life changing. Just tell me you liked the way I matched socks or motivated kids to kill flies and decided to do it my [...]
Kim,
From another freakishly huge family–we also use this system, although everyone’s socks are white!
Sherry
[...] you have any special tips for how to do laundry for a large household? Apparently my sock philosophy is gaining a following. There's more – much, much more. This was a 2 hour session! I [...]