Teens Washing Their Own Laundry?

Hello,

I recommend that parents teach their children how to wash clothes at age 8-9. How to fold them and put them away at age 5-6. They can learn to fold hand towels at age 2-3 and move up from there.

It’s a BIG break for parents for kids to wash their own clothes. Plus, it’s preparing children for future independence.

Further, it REALLY cuts down on clean clothes being thrown in the hamper to keep from putting them away!

When my 9-year-old son learned to wash his own laundry, he said, “This ROCKS!” He felt empowered, and I felt proud.

Sincerely yours in parenting success,
Debra Sale Wendler
AdhdParentingSuccess

It sounds great when you have one kid, but when you have 5 kids……
We started off with tall cubbies in the laundry room. Clothes when washed for them would go there, and they would have to bring it to their rooms. I found summers the best time to teach them how to wash and we would rotate the following jobs: sorting clothes for the distinct loads, washing, drying and folding, and separating. They know that “clean” clothes does not go in the hampers. During the school year, I take over with their assistance but can’t let them to do their individual loads because of being careful with water (we get charged and arm and a leg for it), electricity, etc. and to teach them how to be more energy conscious. Started when the oldest was 8, then 7, 6, 3, 1 mos. My 8 year old did the whites better then me!

My teen does her own laundry. If I do not have a full load, I will ask if she has any lights or darks to add to my load. When I was a teen, there happened to be 3 teens in the house and we had an assigned day of the week to do our own laundry.

At his dad’s house, he does all his laundry himself (he’s 13) and that’s been going on for about a year or so. At my house, he mostly does his own, but if I’m doing a load and I let him know, he’ll bring me his basket and I’ll throw his clothes in, too.

He started learning how to run the washer and dryer in about 4th grade and he’d help with folding before that.

Right now, he’s working off a $30 debt, so he’s doing everybody’s laundry. It was his idea to work it off this way and I have to say, I’m enjoying it so far.

I did ask my daughter when she was 12 to do her own laundry. She did it for awhile, then she asked me to start doing it for her. This did not work because she got mad at me for not having the clothes ready for her when she needed them. I then asked her to do her laundry herself, and I firmly believe that is the way to go. My dental hygenist gave me the idea when my daughter was 12 and she was right. Kathy Hoxit

I boycotted laundry when my teen was about 13 or 8th grade. I never knew what was clean, what was dirty, she would try on one shirt and toss it on the floor – I showed her how to use the washer/dryer, sort clothes, whites, etc.. etc., she didnt take me seriously until she ran out of clean clothes to wear. That was enough to motivate her to do her own laundry, which she has been doing for about 4 years now. I will be nice and fold it for her, if she leaves it in the dryer, so far that has not been reciprocated, but there is always hope that one day it will happen!

when our oldest son john turned 14 last october, we presented him with vairous gifts stuffed inside his own laundry basket. he knew months before turning 14 he would become responsible for his own laundry. it has worked out really well. every sunday without fail, he does his own laudry without being told. our second son will be turning 14 in november and will receive his own custom laundry basket and assume the responsibility as well. kids need to be responsible which is something of the past. giving them responsiblities produces life long skills.

Cynthia

Using Grab Green’s mini detergent packets has made doing laundry much easier especially for my daughter. She loves how she just needs 1 little packet per load, and fills the machine with her dirty clothes, and she’s done. No fabric softener to add in or anything. We bought ours in the large size at http://www.grabgreenhome.com.

I always worked, so the rule is… Laudry down from bedrooms in laundryroom Sat. a.m. 8 a.m If not, they do their own. Three girls were all different, my last one, doesn’t have a problem doing her own, only one thing there are always wet clothes in washer or dry clothes in dryer. I usually just take care of them if I need to use it. She has a lot of clothes and buys at Goodwill and the such so she can go a long time. Unfortunally, my husband is the same way. His clothes are strewn all over, so same rule applyes for him. There are times when he does his own laundry too. They know it’s not my fault if they run out of clothes. I’m more than willing to do all the laundry, but I wont’ go hunting it down..

With 4 children and two working parents, laundry has always been a shared chore. Even the youngest now 3 has been helping with folding and putting away so she can be a “big kid” like the older three. The rule is, laundry is brought down on Wednesday and Saturday. If you run out of clean clothes, you wear dirty or pjs to school. This works for us.

There are five people in my family and two of them are teenagers. I can only say that teaching them to do their own laundry has been a saving grace for me and an important life skill learned for them!

I taught my kids to do their own laundry when they started getting mad at me because their special item wasn’t clean when they needed it. It only took a couple of loads for them to get the hang of it. I taped laundry instructions on the wall next to the washer if they needed help when I wasn’t home. I listed bleach as “off limits” so they wouldn’t get hurt.

We live in apartment building and have to pay for laundry. I have one kid, so it doesn’t really pay for her to do her own since the loads would be small, in the end would cost us too much. However, she is 15 years old and as long as I have it sorted, she will do all the wash. Started her with towels (hard to ruin). The only thing I don’t let her do yet is delicates, the dryer has a one hour running time, it will run for 1 hour no matter what. I can’t count on her to not be distracted and forget to get back on time. Clothes cost $$ I don’t want her shrinking stuff (at least if I do it, I can only blame myself, LOL).

My duaghter does get ask about certain clothes and if I didn’t know where it was, or didn’t get to do some of the laundry yet, well tough. Tell me in advance or make sure it gets into the laundry basket. And if she doesn’t want me getting it from her room, then she has to bring to me. She is pretty good about helping and doing stuff, most of the time. During the school year, she isn’t home much, so I don’t make big demands, but for summer she is home, she can do all our laundry.

DD has put her own laundry away since she is like 12. We sort it, drop it in her room and she can live out of the clean laundry basket or put it away. If too much piles up, I make her put away.

My children are not teens yet but we are starting in the right direction. They are 12 and 9 and when I do laundry, I tell them I need your dirty clothes. They have thier own baskets to fill, (most of the time the clothes are all over the room, and don’t make it to the basket until I call for it). I wash, dry and fold it, and place it back in the basket. It is then thier job to take the baskets back and put away the clean stuff.

I have 2 daughters… a 15 year old and an 11 year old one. If they put their clothes in the hamper and bring it downstairs, I will gladly help out and wash it for them. I assist the younger one still on what needs sorting and what not to dry however she gets it for the most part. Rule of thumb…if you don’t know..ask… and do not dry … instead hang it if it is important to you. It is good to make them as independant as posiible. They are responsible for hanging, folding and putting away at all times. If they don’t have claean laundry then they must miss out on time with their friends and do it before going out. Works for us like a charm! Teaches them no puishments just consequences of taking care of their daily needs.