Do your older teens know how to do Laundry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did my kids’ laundry all the way through high school. Somehow they managed to master this challenging life is skill right before they left for college. Maybe my kids are just exceptional?

I do my teens laundry because it is more efficient to combine clothes into bigger loads. I do not consider laundry a really complex skill that needs years of practice and training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did my kids’ laundry all the way through high school. Somehow they managed to master this challenging life is skill right before they left for college. Maybe my kids are just exceptional?

I do my teens laundry because it is more efficient to combine clothes into bigger loads. I do not consider laundry a really complex skill that needs years of practice and training.

Of course it is more efficient to do one big load and no, it doesn't require training. But my 12 year old boy has been doing laundry for almost 2 years now for the whole house. We all trade off every other week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many parents would admit to still doing their mid-older teens or college aged child's laundry?

I do my teens laundry. I like doing laundry and we have large machines; it is wasteful to run lots of small loads so I do ours all together. But I make them sort their own and sometimes have them do it all so they know how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did my kids’ laundry all the way through high school. Somehow they managed to master this challenging life is skill right before they left for college. Maybe my kids are just exceptional?

I do my teens laundry because it is more efficient to combine clothes into bigger loads. I do not consider laundry a really complex skill that needs years of practice and training.

Of course it is more efficient to do one big load and no, it doesn't require training. But my 12 year old boy has been doing laundry for almost 2 years now for the whole house. We all trade off every other week.

Great..my kids happen to do other household chores. Laundry happens to be one that is on my list. My DD cleans the bathrooms!

[Anonymous]

From a safety perspective, make sure to teach them how to clean the lint trap.

[Anonymous]

My 7 and 9 YOs can do basic laundry. They are terrible at folding so we work together some or parents end up folding if kids are out.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader does. It is a 4 step process- four steps! Put laundry in, put in detergent, close door, press button. Repeat for dryer.

Seriously op, if your kids can’t do this by 6th grade at the latest, then it qualifies as a huge parenting fail.

[Anonymous]

Oh, my bad! My kids have never done laundry. Why does it it even matter? I didn't do laundry until I went to college and all is fine!

[Anonymous]

All of my kids can do the laundry. We all do the laundry for the family, none of the teens does just their own. With 6 in our family there is always enough for a white load or a jeans load. Even the boys are learning what items to take out before the load goes in the drier. Boys that grow up with sisters make the best boyfriends/husbands. My 10 year old boy has absolutely no issue with running the load of wash and then hanging up any bras to air dry. Not a big deal.

Along the same lines make sure your kids know how to clean the toilet. I'll never forget moving in to my apartment style dorm room with three other girls who had no clue how to scrub a toilet.

[Anonymous]

just turned 14 yr old DS is doing his right now. Got back from sleep away camp with a load of dirty laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, my bad! My kids have never done laundry. Why does it it even matter? I didn't do laundry until I went to college and all is fine!

Sure, it's not the end of the world. But it's one of those things you want to teach your kids BEFORE they become an adult, like driving, cooking, cleaning.. you know.. general life skills.

My mother never taught me how to cook. I suffered for it when I went away to college and moved off on my own. My DH's mother taught him how to cook. He ate a lot better than I did when he was a young adult.

We are teaching both our DS and DD those life skills BEFORE they head of to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many parents would admit to still doing their mid-older teens or college aged child's laundry?

I do my teens laundry. I like doing laundry and we have large machines; it is wasteful to run lots of small loads so I do ours all together. But I make them sort their own and sometimes have them do it all so they know how.

This will likely be us down the road. My kids are only 7 and 9 now and on the short side so it will be a while before either of them can reach down into our new top loader washer. At 5'6" with short arms, I can barely reach the bottom. But I suspect our laundry will always be a combined effort with me doing most of it and DH and the kids occasionally running a load the way DH does now. They already help me sort and fold and put away their own laundry. DH folds all sheets because I hate that and he will help fold family laundry to the extent I get backed up but I tend to do a load of laundry very day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, my bad! My kids have never done laundry. Why does it it even matter? I didn't do laundry until I went to college and all is fine!

Sure, it's not the end of the world. But it's one of those things you want to teach your kids BEFORE they become an adult, like driving, cooking, cleaning.. you know.. general life skills.

My mother never taught me how to cook. I suffered for it when I went away to college and moved off on my own. My DH's mother taught him how to cook. He ate a lot better than I did when he was a young adult.

We are teaching both our DS and DD those life skills BEFORE they head of to college.

IA with all of this.

I grew up in this area and my parents refused to teach me or allow me to drive on "the big roads" (81, 95, beltway, etc.) or in snow. The years after college when I moved back to this area were spent teaching myself to drive in the snow and getting comfortable driving the beltway to work. I hear the same thing from so many of my kid's friends... "no, I'm not allowed to drive on 66. My mom says it's too dangerous" "We won't allow Brian to drive on any road that has a speed limit higher than 45. It's just too risky!"

I've made sure mine have practice driving on all types of roads in all types of weather.

[Anonymous]

I really wouldn't compare doing a load of white's with driving. Really? laundry is a life skill? My kids can cook, I see that more important than laundry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, my bad! My kids have never done laundry. Why does it it even matter? I didn't do laundry until I went to college and all is fine!

Totally not end of world, but I appreciate that I have one less chore to do. And that my kid can make me eggs/etc for mothers day.