That's weird.

If they are in a situation where they don't have a dishwasher, they'll figure it out.

Hand washing when the dishwasher is right there is bizarre.

We inadvertently did this when we ran out of dishwasher detergent. Instead of running out to pick some up we let it go for a week. All the dishes were hand washed. The kids know it is their job to get the dishes loaded and washed, but if they aren't done in time for dinner, they know they get to clean what's in the sink.

If you have a dishwasher it's stupid to not use it. There are enough kitchen items that DON'T go in the dishwasher that need to be hand-washed.

Seeing parents load the dishwasher / loading it themselves IS work. Emptying the dishwasher is work.

Depending on the dishwasher, you are actually wasting water when you rinse dishes first.

Maybe the kids could learn the handwashing technique on pots and pans that don't go into the dishwasher but otherwise what's the harm in using the machine?

Making kids wash dishes by hand when you have a dishwasher sounds like a recipe for resentment.

I agree that busy work is not the way to go. Have them do laundry, load the dishwasher, sweep the floor, etc.--even if you have a housekeeper, there is still tons to do every day.

We handwash so much still- all pots, knifes, wine glasses, cutting boards, etc. Even using the dishwasher there's still lots for hand washing.

Anonymous wrote:Why can't the kids use the dishwasher? Loading (including rinsing) and unloading the dishwasher is still a chore. Some dishes must be handwashed and that's fine--but if it can go in the dishwasher, why not?

Making them handwash and creating extra work makes you sound like a control freak.

+1 we started at 1st grade that scraping and loading the dishwasher was a chore. We don't force the issue if someone has to run off to a practice/afterschool event. Me or hubby will always say that we'll do the dishes(stay behind parent) - go get ready for soccer. It's not about the chore, but about being a family team and helping each other.

Anonymous wrote:We had a non-functioning DW for a few weeks while we needed to wait for the new one to arrive, so we hand-washed everything. It was a pain, but it gave us a chance to teach the kids how to wash by hand as well as use the dishwasher. Definitely a good skill to have.

I agree they should know how to handwash dishes, but it isn't necessary for them to do it all the time if there is a perfectly functioning dishwasher right there.

We had a non-functioning DW for a few weeks while we needed to wait for the new one to arrive, so we hand-washed everything. It was a pain, but it gave us a chance to teach the kids how to wash by hand as well as use the dishwasher. Definitely a good skill to have.

Are you talking about washing dishes by hand when they could just put them in the dishwasher.

No, I wouldn't. I would make them rinse the dishes, load and unload the dishwasher. It's the habits of taking care of the space you want to teach, not the mechanics of how to wash a dish. Hand washing in this case would just be "make work" which doesn't make sense to me.

Apologies if I misinterpreted the situation!

Why can't the kids use the dishwasher? Loading (including rinsing) and unloading the dishwasher is still a chore. Some dishes must be handwashed and that's fine--but if it can go in the dishwasher, why not?

Making them handwash and creating extra work makes you sound like a control freak.

That seems kind of going overboard, unless you are talking about a few leftover that didn't fit in. I got rid of our housekeeper and my kids take care of just about everything. There is plenty to do when it comes to taking care of a house without making up work that isn't necessary.

No, washing dishes is not going too far. We wash dishes all the time -- multiple times a day, in fact!

We can afford a maid every week (use one twice in so month) but I want the kids to learn to do housework and see parents do housework. Is washing dishes going too far? I had a roommate in college who couldn't care about herself or our room. Drove me crazy.