Laundry Day Lessons with Sheamus: Building Skills, One Load at a Time”

In our home, laundry day isn’t just about cleaning clothes  it’s about building life skills, learning patience, and spending intentional time together. For Sheamus and me, it’s a quiet routine we’ve come to appreciate.

It starts with separating the clothes. Sheamus has gotten really good at this part  whites in one pile, darks in another, and towels in their own section. He’s very visual and detail oriented, so sorting has become second nature. Once everything is separated, we load up our laundry cart and head downstairs to the laundry room.

This is where Sheamus really shines. He takes his time loading the washers carefully, making sure not to overload them. Then he sets the temperature  cold for colors, warm for whites   and hits start. As the machines spin and rumble, I often catch him standing there watching the water swirl, mesmerized by the rhythm of the wash cycle. There’s something calming about it, almost like a sensory moment built right into the routine.

After the wash cycle finishes, we do the same thing with the dryer  carefully transferring everything, checking lint traps, and setting the timer. Sheamus knows the steps and follows them with growing independence.

Now here’s where the real teamwork kicks in: folding. Folding laundry isn’t Sheamus’s favorite part  and I get it, especially when there’s a mountain of it. But because I have arthritis, I can’t fold everything on my own. So we sit together, sometimes with music on or a TV show in the background, and tackle the task. And truth be told, he does a good job. His folds are neat, his stack is organized, and he’s learning that helping out is part of being a team.

These everyday chores might seem small, but for an autistic teen like Sheamus, they’re powerful opportunities to build confidence, independence, and a sense of pride. Laundry day is more than just clean clothes  it’s about showing up for each other, sharing the load (literally), and turning routine into growth.