Rachel Barton of New Manchester adds a few drops of an essential oil to her homemade dryer sheet Saturday during the inaugural Parent Burnout session hosted by the Hancock County Family Support Center at Chester Municipal Building. The consensus was among the moms that citrus was the preferred scent. Moms also made homemade laundry soap and shared laundry tips. The sessions will be held on Saturdays during the month of January. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)

CHESTER — After wrapping up an hour dishing about laundry, the majority of attendees to the inaugural session of Parent Burnout gatherings hosted by the Hancock County Family Support Center agreed they hate laundry but enjoy the tranquility associated with folding.

More than a half dozen mothers gathered Saturday at the Chester Municipal Building to discuss tips for the time-consuming task of laundry, which demands Americans’ attention –statistics show most households do eight-to-10 loads weekly, or 400 loads per year.

Lexus Strnisa of HCFSC oversaw that initial session, where a half-dozen moms also learned to make their own laundry soap (see recipe sidebar) and dryer sheets from paper towels, vinegar and essential oils.

Opportunities to share ideas and casually discuss the common challenges — including those stray socks under the couch where a child left them after taking them off during school or the tendency to procrastinate putting that basket of clean clothes away after folding –were welcomed by the participants.

Strnisa encouraged moms to get the family involved in the process. Get kids to sort their own clean socks to put in the dresser drawer. Teach them the process, as they will be doing their own laundry once reaching adulthood.

At the end of the day, her message was clear: “Good is good enough. Kids won’t remember laundry, but they remember the time with them.” Strnisa added.

The sessions will be held from 10-11 a.m. every Saturday in January.

On Jan. 17, participants will come together for a hands-on session about budgeting and how they could make money work for their families. Conducted via zoom, Hannah Hebrock oversees the session where a financial expert remotely dials into refine a family’s financial practices.

Then, on Jan. 24, meal planning will be on the menu as participants wil make a freezer meal that all family members will enjoy as well as how to prep ahead to make meals more affordable

During the last session on Jan. 31, participants will learn practical ways to organize their households.

All sessions. which are held in the Chester Municipal Building, are geared toward households with juveniles as directed through its funding.

Childcare is available but limited.

Call 304-748-7850 ext. 1015 to preregister or ask questions.