Does everyone else's teens do their own laundry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 11 and 13 and have never done their own laundry. I thought this was normal, but over in another thread, most commenters are saying their kids have done their own laundry since they were tweens/teens. For context, I don't mind -- I telework and it's easy to throw some laundry in over the course of the day. As housework goes, I don't hate it. Also, I never did my own laundry as a kid. I had other chores but my parents did my laundry for me until I went to college. Do most kids transition to doing their own laundry at some point while still living at home?

Yes, of course. It was one of the skills we taught them at 8, along with how to prepare basic meals and clean bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

My husband does the laundry and lays it out. Kids fold it. We made sure DS did his own laundry summer before college.

Thus system works well for us because dirty laundry doesn’t pile up. Everyone has what they need when they need it.

[Anonymous]

My 13yo does hers about 50% of the time.
Generally I do it then lay it on her bed for her to put away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My boys do their own laundry and started at age 12. Do I enforce it being perfected folded and in drawers. Nope. So is there usually one dirty pile and one clean pile of clothes on their bedroom floors? Yep.

This is us too. I’m just not going to deal with a kid annoyed with me because a shirt turned pink or I forgot to move something to the dryer. They are fully capable and can be annoyed with themselves. We are strict about no food in bedrooms so I don’t get worked up about some clean clothes in a basket that go unfolded. It’s just messy, not dirty.

It only works because they don’t wear dirty clothes. If I had a kid who didn’t care, I would do their laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My boys do their own laundry and started at age 12. Do I enforce it being perfected folded and in drawers. Nope. So is there usually one dirty pile and one clean pile of clothes on their bedroom floors? Yep.

This is us too. I’m just not going to deal with a kid annoyed with me because a shirt turned pink or I forgot to move something to the dryer. They are fully capable and can be annoyed with themselves. We are strict about no food in bedrooms so I don’t get worked up about some clean clothes in a basket that go unfolded. It’s just messy, not dirty.

It only works because they don’t wear dirty clothes. If I had a kid who didn’t care, I would do their laundry.

I also do offer to help if I see they have a hectic day. And will do it if they ask me to as well. But both of those are rare.

[Anonymous]

Yes they have done it since they were about 10?

Laundry is such an easy chore for kids to do (throw in washer, switch to dryer, fold in front of the tv or while listening to music, put away) that it seems silly for them NOT to do it. I don’t have to hear “why didn’t you wash my favorite shirt?!??” —if they have dirty clothes, it’s on them. I read an article awhile back that said that kids who have chores are ultimately happier than kids that don’t because they have a sense of meaning and purpose in the family. So we chose things that made sense for them to be in charge of and yes, laundry is one of them. They don’t have to do everything (they wipe bathroom counters but don’t have to clean the tub or toilets; they’ve never shoveled the driveway), but they have enough regular choirs to be part of the household and still have time for school/sports/relaxing. I think that as long as your kid knows how to do somethings that are 1) a drudge but has to be done anyway and 2) contributes to the household then that’s good. You don’t want them to be 25 years old and living at home and you’re running around serving them hand and foot and bitter about it because you never established that they can (and should) do these things.

[Anonymous]

Some DCUM people think doing laundry is a critical skill to learn before college. I have two teens who never did their own laundry because it doesn’t make sense to do individual loads for a family of four. I assure you that my DD had no problem learning how to do it on her own when she went to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. My 15 yo will do an emergency load for himself on occasion if he has something specific he wants washed. But no, it just doesn’t make sense to do it that way in our household.

I don’t think it’s as common as dcum makes it out to be.

Agree. It makes more sense for us combine laundry, rather than do many small individual loads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my son went away to college he had to help other kids figure out how to use the laundry machines in the dorms. He was shocked they had no life skills.

They more likely they were unfamiliar with the machines dorm used. You literally just pick a temp, cycle size, regular/delicate and press start. It doesn’t take yrs of practice.

[Anonymous]

I dated a guy once who took his laundry home to his mother to do his laundry, apparently did not how to do his own. What a turn off. Easy to figure out what his expectations were. My kids learned early on (age 8?) to change their own sheets and do their own laundry.

[Anonymous]

15 and 12. They do not do their own laundry. Starting at age 10, my mom made me do my own laundry. I'm a SAHM, I consider it part of my job.

[Anonymous]

No my kids don’t do it. I never did mine as a child. I learned in about 5 minutes and did it in college and the rest of my life. It’s not rocket science.

My kids have other chores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. My 15 yo will do an emergency load for himself on occasion if he has something specific he wants washed. But no, it just doesn’t make sense to do it that way in our household.

I don’t think it’s as common as dcum makes it out to be.

Agree. It makes more sense for us combine laundry, rather than do many small individual loads.

This is fascinating to me. After a week of school/work, pajamas, working out/sports, each of us definitely at least one full load. No one is doing small individual loads.

Each person is responsible for the full lifecycle of their own laundry. Accountability for what goes well and what doesn’t. I have not helped anyone find a lost or dirty uniform in 3 years or so. Now that the kids wash their own clothes, they keep track of their items and there are no arguments about that. Everyone is happier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. My 15 yo will do an emergency load for himself on occasion if he has something specific he wants washed. But no, it just doesn’t make sense to do it that way in our household.

I don’t think it’s as common as dcum makes it out to be.

Agree. It makes more sense for us combine laundry, rather than do many small individual loads.

This is fascinating to me. After a week of school/work, pajamas, working out/sports, each of us definitely at least one full load. No one is doing small individual loads.

Each person is responsible for the full lifecycle of their own laundry. Accountability for what goes well and what doesn’t. I have not helped anyone find a lost or dirty uniform in 3 years or so. Now that the kids wash their own clothes, they keep track of their items and there are no arguments about that. Everyone is happier.

Do you also do the thing where if the person before you doesn’t get their laundry out you leave it in a wet pile on top of the machine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. My 15 yo will do an emergency load for himself on occasion if he has something specific he wants washed. But no, it just doesn’t make sense to do it that way in our household.

I don’t think it’s as common as dcum makes it out to be.

Agree. It makes more sense for us combine laundry, rather than do many small individual loads.

This- I'm really frugal and grew up with a mom who combined all our laundry too. So I do it this way. I also avoid doing it during peak energy hours. Don't know if that helps. It's just how I'm hard-wired. My teens know how to do all the basics in life.