Do you do your teens laundry?

[dis-happy]

I agree, I NEVER said not to teach, I said having them do it all.

I teach them, then they do it. Not much different than getting a driver's license....doesn't seem to make much sense to send them through driver's ed then not let them drive themselves around.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I do my kids laundry. They are 13, 10 and 7. The 13 yo is a child with special needs so he's not capable of doing it yet. In addition I have front loaders on a base so none of my kids can even see into the soap dispenser yet

DH and I have a huge walk in closet. On Saturday the kids have to bring their laundry into my closet and sit on the floor with me while we sort it. We actually have fun - we sit in separate corners and each person get's assigned a "pile". DS1 might be whites, DD might be darks, DS2 might get brights, I am whatever is left over. Then we take turns throwing clothes to each other so we can have everything into sorted piles.

I then go through all the piles to spray with shout if necessary and do all the laundry. I fold and put them into baskets for each child, they are required to put all their clean clothes away and there's no exceptions to that. MUST go away.

 

[Acklander]

By the teen years my kids are responsible for their own care and feeding. I don't worry about them "ruining" clothes either because they're responsible for their own shopping with a clothing budget so any laundry errors - they live with the results, not me.
That being said, I'm not a SAHM (never have been) so as a family we all contribute to the general household. I'd probably do it differently if I was home all day.

 

[Buckalew11]

DD has done her own laundry since she was 13. I am a big believer in kids doing their own when they are able.

She only does full loads. She's responsible for uniforms etc.

She can cook, clean and take care of her car too. DH has taught her a lot of outdoor stuff that will come in handy for the rest of her life.

 

[Donaldswife]

My kids aren't that caring. lol. They would just throw it in.

Maybe your kids would be caring about it if it was their responsibility.

Not trying to jump on you or anything, but it might make them more careful if they know it is expected of them.

 

[mhsjax]

Obviously they don't do it as a general rule because they have decided that, for their family, they'd rather do it differently.

In the same way that I've decided, for my family, that none of us should be doing laundry, so I pay a housekeeper to do it for us. And I am now a stay at home mom - although technically I am retired with a DD17 so it's just the two of us at home now - not much "SAHM' stuff for me to do anymore!!

I could easily do all the laundry for my family and I have all day every day to get it done - but I choose not to. Works for my family and if anyone wants to judge me for it have at it but it doesn't bother me in the least.

For the record, both daughters learned to operate the washer/dryer, sort and pretreat clothes, etc. when they were in middle school and have done their own when away at camp, etc. DD22 was easily able to transition from having her laundry done to doing it herself at college - it took her about a minute to figure out how the college washer was different from ours and away she went.

WEel, there is nothing wrong with paying a house keeper to do it. I am not crazy.

And for the record, I could do mine somewhere around the middle school age, and I did on occasion. But as a general rule, when my mom did the laundry I wasn't there and she wasn't about to waste the energy to let e do a half load when she was there doing it anyway.

I stated and will state again, that anyone that makes it to college, has the brain power to figure out laundry even if they have never done it, to say otherwise, I would question their ability to graduate fro college, it really just requires a little reading.

I look at it this way. My DH works and the money he makes is ours, just like that house is ours and we all live in it. But I don't go to his job and help him do his work and neither do the kids. They have some chores and if they want to do a load of laundry fine, but I don't and won't require them to. I stay home and that is part of my job, along with teaching them how to do things.

 

[mhsjax]

Maybe your kids would be caring about it if it was their responsibility.

Not trying to jump on you or anything, but it might make them more careful if they know it is expected of them.

AGain , I don't want it to be their responsibility, that is my job now. They have chores, they have the job of going to school and making good grades, which they do, they have their sports which I expect them to excel at. This is my way and it works for us. It worked for me growing up. I don't and won't expect my kids to do their own laundry, not when I am home. They know how the machine works, and later when they get older, they will learn more details, but for now, I see now need for a 14, 12 and 10 year old to do theirs. Not when I am home all day.

ETA: When I say excel at sports I mean to give it their best, I don't want to be accused of being one of "those" moms

 

[mhsjax]

I do my kids laundry. They are 13, 10 and 7. The 13 yo is a child with special needs so he's not capable of doing it yet. In addition I have front loaders on a base so none of my kids can even see into the soap dispenser yet

DH and I have a huge walk in closet. On Saturday the kids have to bring their laundry into my closet and sit on the floor with me while we sort it. We actually have fun - we sit in separate corners and each person get's assigned a "pile". DS1 might be whites, DD might be darks, DS2 might get brights, I am whatever is left over. Then we take turns throwing clothes to each other so we can have everything into sorted piles.

I then go through all the piles to spray with shout if necessary and do all the laundry. I fold and put them into baskets for each child, they are required to put all their clean clothes away and there's no exceptions to that. MUST go away.

My kids do this too. They are responsible for bringing everything to the laundry room. Then they separate and they have a ball, they throw stuff at each other all the time.
Maybe this is where I am different than most. I have 3, and everyday of the week I am running almost right after school until just after the usual dinner time, we end up eating around 7:30. I am running them around to their activities.

So I have to do the laundry during the day, I clean during the day. They get home do homework and hit the sports. When DD brings one home, that one will start with the dinner prep and do whatever I didn't get done. The unload the dishwasher take out trash etc.

My laundry can't and won't wait until the weekend, we are too busy and by the time we eat and they get homework done, it is bedtime.

My laundry is done now, My weekend is free, I don't have to worry about getting it done and what uniforms has to be clean for this weekend because I took care of it

 

[morethananyonex]

I'm 21, I've been doing my own laundry since my early teens I would guess. I got my parents to teach me how to do it, because I was sick of putting my favourite clothes in the dirty laundry pile and not seeing them again for weeks .

 

[bigbabyblues]

My 10 yo and 7-yo sons put away their own laundry. If they "forget" to put their laundry in the basket to be washed, they can either wait until the next time DH does laundry, or they can do it themselves (7-yo gets a little help). My DS10 has had to wash his soccer shorts and/or socks at least twice in the last month because he needed them but didn't send them to be washed when he should have.

If they do their own, I find enough for them to have a load to do, DS doesn't just wash the socks.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

AGain , I don't want it to be their responsibility, that is my job now. They have chores, they have the job of going to school and making good grades, which they do, they have their sports which I expect them to excel at. This is my way and it works for us. It worked for me growing up. I don't and won't expect my kids to do their own laundry, not when I am home. They know how the machine works, and later when they get older, they will learn more details, but for now, I see now need for a 14, 12 and 10 year old to do theirs. Not when I am home all day.

This is how I feel also. I have shown my two how the machines work, have even asked them to transfer a load over if I don't feel good, but in the end, my children's job is school. Plain and simple.

Prior to getting married, DH and I went to his brothers. My soon to be 5 yo nephew was making coffee for us while doing the laundry. IT was one of the saddest things I ever saw. In the car ride home DH and I made a few rules, children are to be kids and have fun, NO making coffee, and we decided my nephew would be out of that house the minute he could. HE WAS. Now I do admit, he is a great father and has a lovely wife. I hear from them often. Their kids DO not make coffee.

 

[mhsjax]

This is how I feel also. I have shown my two how the machines work, have even asked them to transfer a load over if I don't feel good, but in the end, my children's job is school. Plain and simple.

Prior to getting married, DH and I went to his brothers. My soon to be 5 yo nephew was making coffee for us while doing the laundry. IT was one of the saddest things I ever saw. In the car ride home DH and I made a few rules, children are to be kids and have fun, NO making coffee, and we decided my nephew would be out of that house the minute he could. HE WAS. Now I do admit, he is a great father and has a lovely wife. I hear from them often. Their kids DO not make coffee.

OH well, confession time. My DS 10 will make us coffee but that is because we got a Keurig and he thinks it is fun, but we only let him do it when he asks if he can. He just like to push the lever down and push the button to brew. lol

Other than that little admission, I completely agree with you.

 

[golfgal]

I thought I was the only feeling this way. I am a SAHM, so yep I feel it is my responsibility. I wonder how many here that have kids doing the laundry are working moms, that I can sort of see, but I am sorry, if you are a SAHM and you have your kids doing their own laundry all the time, then you are passing part of your job off to family members that already have jobs. Not saying that they shouldn't help, but I have seen several saying their kids do all their own laundry and have been for a while. LIke I said if you are a working mom great, but is a SAHM, that concept I don't understand.

Sorry, but your job as a parent is to raise kids to be independent, contributing members to society. Part of that is learning how to do laundry--unless your kids plan on sending their laundry out for the rest of their life. My kids also clean bathrooms, cook, clean the house, etc. Showing them does no good unless they PRACTICE as well. It has nothing to do with being a SAHM or a working mom and everything to do with raising your children.

 

[golfgal]

This is how I feel also. I have shown my two how the machines work, have even asked them to transfer a load over if I don't feel good, but in the end, my children's job is school. Plain and simple.

Prior to getting married, DH and I went to his brothers. My soon to be 5 yo nephew was making coffee for us while doing the laundry. IT was one of the saddest things I ever saw. In the car ride home DH and I made a few rules, children are to be kids and have fun, NO making coffee, and we decided my nephew would be out of that house the minute he could. HE WAS. Now I do admit, he is a great father and has a lovely wife. I hear from them often. Their kids DO not make coffee.

Maybe the kid LIKED to make coffee?? At 5 my kids LOVED to dust, have at it kids because I knew THAT wouldn't last. They still dust, they just complain about it more. I would rather my 5 year old knows how to do things around the house then send an 18 year old off to college with no concept of how to do laundry or clean a house.

 

[mhsjax]

Sorry, but your job as a parent is to raise kids to be independent, contributing members to society. Part of that is learning how to do laundry--unless your kids plan on sending their laundry out for the rest of their life. My kids also clean bathrooms, cook, clean the house, etc. Showing them does no good unless they PRACTICE as well. It has nothing to do with being a SAHM or a working mom and everything to do with raising your children.

YOu are kidding right? Gee I didn't think that because they didn't do laundry that they would send it out. I wish I had known that. I have doing laundry for 27 years, and I didn't do it at home. Shoot I wish I had talked to you earlier, you seem to know so much.

FWIW, My DD baked her first from scratch cake at the age of 10. She told me she was bored and wanted to bake a cake, I told her to go ahead and do it. She thought I was kidding, she did all by her little self, without any real practice other than watching me. See they taught her fractions at school and to read at school, so she was actually capable of doing this on her own. . and it was damn good to. All because she could read. Maybe your schools up there in MN aren't as good as you think, if they have to practice daily living skills. Oh yeah, my kids vacuum ,dust, wash baseboards, sweep down the pool, take out the trash, bring in groceries, run into the store for me with a list and manage to get exactly what I need. So yep, I think I am ok on the raising kids thing, thanks anyway.

 

[golfgal]

YOu are kidding right? Gee I didn't think that because they didn't do laundry that they would send it out. I wish I had known that. I have doing laundry for 27 years, and I didn't do it at home. Shoot I wish I had talked to you earlier, you seem to know so much.

FWIW, My DD baked her first from scratch cake at the age of 10. She told me she was bored and wanted to bake a cake, I told her to go ahead and do it. She thought I was kidding, she did all by her little self, without any real practice other than watching me. See they taught her fractions at school and to read at school, so she was actually capable of doing this on her own. . and it was damn good to. All because she could read. Maybe your schools up there in MN aren't as good as you think, if they have to practice daily living skills. Oh yeah, my kids vacuum ,dust, wash baseboards, sweep down the pool, take out the trash, bring in groceries, run into the store for me with a list and manage to get exactly what I need. So yep, I think I am ok on the raising kids thing, thanks anyway.

But you think it is too much for them to do laundry??

 

[mhsjax]

But you think it is too much for them to do laundry??

No I don't think it is too much, I think it takes too much time. When they get home we have things to do, on the weekends we have things to do as a family. I am home for 6 hours, I wake up, they leave I go to the gym, I come home do laundry, go to the store or any other errands and start dinner. Once they get home, it is about an hour of homework and then off we go in different directions. and we don't return until about 7:00 at night. That is just the way our life is and I won't be doing laundry at 8:30 at night after running all day long and they need to finish homework, shower and bed. Now when and if that changes, sure they may do a load here and there, but to say that they are totally responsible for their own laundry in very inconvenient for me.

They also don't do this whole list of chores all the time. The pool only gets done every so often, it is screened, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Base Boards, again not that often. all the other things they don't take that long.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Maybe the kid LIKED to make coffee?? At 5 my kids LOVED to dust, have at it kids because I knew THAT wouldn't last. They still dust, they just complain about it more. I would rather my 5 year old knows how to do things around the house then send an 18 year old off to college with no concept of how to do laundry or clean a house.

Actually no he didn't like making our coffee and doing the laundry for the family. He actually preferred playing with cars and being outside. And while dusting is not something I would consider wrong for a 5 year old, brewing and serving hot coffee is definitely wrong.

I guess my law abiding, straight A students, who while were taught how chores are done but didn't have to do them very often, should just hang it up for the rest of their lives because there is no way they could be a positive part of today's society because their mother did their laundry and cleaned their rooms for them.

 

[mhsjax]

Actually no he didn't like making our coffee and doing the laundry for the family. He actually preferred playing with cars and being outside. And while dusting is not something I would consider wrong for a 5 year old, brewing and serving hot coffee is definitely wrong.

I guess my law abiding, straight A students, who while were taught how chores are done but didn't have to do them very often, should just hang it up for the rest of their lives because there is no way they could be a positive part of today's society because their mother did their laundry and cleaned their rooms for them.

I wish there was a high 5 smilie. Hey maybe our kids can share a jail cell together, cause you know, we just aren't good parents and we are raising little snowflakes, but that also makes us helicopter parents.

My sister never cleaned her room growing up, my mom did it. You won't find a neater person, I mean she is insane about it. Her house looks like it came out of a magazine and even though she can retire she has the work ethic of no one that I have ever met. Yep, she was ruined all because my mom cleaned her room and did stuff for her also.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I wish there was a high 5 smilie. Hey maybe our kids can share a jail cell together, cause you know, we just aren't good parents and we are raising little snowflakes, but that also makes us helicopter parents.

My sister never cleaned her room growing up, my mom did it. You won't find a neater person, I mean she is insane about it. Her house looks like it came out of a magazine and even though she can retire she has the work ethic of no one that I have ever met. Yep, she was ruined all because my mom cleaned her room and did stuff for her also.

I was raised in a family where my mother did the chores and somehow I can do them. My daughter is the clean one in her dorm room and is actually embarrassed for me to come up when her room-mates do not clean up.

And I have no problem getting into my helicopter to pick you up on family days at the state prison, I hear they put a new heli-pad in with our new tax dollars!!