What age should kids do laundry?

[Nicolepa]

So at what age should kids start doing laundry? Dh and I have this conversation often. I started doing laundry when I was 6. I kid you not. I was responsible for doing all the towels and jeans for the household. By the time I was in jr high I was doing all my own laundry.

Dh on the other hand. She will still do our laundry if she is around. I don't think he did laundry until college and then he would drop it off at the laundromat and pay someone if he was too busy.

So what age do you think a child should start doing laundry? I'm not talking all of their laundry, just learning etc?

 

[Cantw8]

my son was 14 and my daughter was 13....I think I waited too long

 

[leafette]

So at what age should kids start doing laundry? Dh and I have this conversation often. I started doing laundry when I was 6. I kid you not. I was responsible for doing all the towels and jeans for the household. By the time I was in jr high I was doing all my own laundry.

Dh on the other hand. She will still do our laundry if she is around. I don't think he did laundry until college and then he would drop it off at the laundromat and pay someone if he was too busy.

So what age do you think a child should start doing laundry? I'm not talking all of their laundry, just learning etc?

My DD(7) helps sort, fold and put away her clothes and the towels. My DS(3) thinks he's big stuff because we sometimes hand him the clothes to transfer from the washer to the dryer.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

my youngest loves to do laundry. She is 8. Since Mon. she has done at least 6 loads. sorts, loads, transfers to dryer, and unloads. Started folding towels and such, at about 6.

My oldest hates laundry, but cleans the bathrooms, and loads/unloads the dishwasher, and has for about 4 years.

They both put their own laundry away.

 

[rcraw45425]

I marked 8-10, my 9 & 11 year olds are capable of loading, adding the liquids and starting, transferring to dryer and starting it, also unloading it. DO they do it without constant reminders? , yeah right! Oldest is now putting away a load that was completed two days ago. I don't care, it's her stuff, if she wants it wrinkled, so be it. The only reason she's doing it now is I bought her $10 worth of lip gloss and she has to work it off!

 

[Nicolepa]

My DD(7) helps sort, fold and put away her clothes and the towels. My DS(3) thinks he's big stuff because we sometimes hand him the clothes to transfer from the washer to the dryer.

My 4 yo does this too. He also helps me pour the soap in. My 6 yo could care less.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

I've got to admit that when I was a kid I had many chores, but for some reason laundry was not one of them. My oldest DS starting doing his own laundry when he was 14. Although, I wouldn't mind doing all the laundry.
(If I could only get someone to clean those toilets!!)

 

[dizzi]

All 4 of my children had to do there own laundry starting at age 8, along with other chores, i think they started a list of chores for evey evening around age 6. Each of my 2 that are still at home, have @7 chores they do every evening after home work, it only takes them about 15 minutes but it really is a great help. I have made it so they know exactly what i expect and it is not to hard that i have to go back and redo it(i am a cleanaholic).

 

[Liberty Belle]

I think 11 or 12 is a good age for them to start doing it on their own.

 

[speedydisteen]

i am 15 and i started doing my own when i was 8.

 

[DVCLiz]

I think there's a pretty big difference in helping to fold, sort and put away, and actually "doing laundry." My mom liked to tell the story of me folding my own diapers at age 2, and I did!!! Apparently I was pretty good at lining up the corners...

I'd say any age is fine to start helping fold and put away, but I'd really wait until 12-14 to let a child learn to wash. By that, I mean old enough to have an appreciation for the different fabrics, and sensible enough to be able to tell if Mom's cashmere sweater accidentally got in the dirty clothes pile. I'm not willing to have an entire drawer of pink underwear just so I can say my children "do" the laundry!!!

We have a housekeeper who does our laundry, but DD18 has done her own throughout high school when she needed something specific or had built up a pile and didn't want to wait for the next load to be done. She was old enough to sort her hand washables and to know when something needed to be sent to the dry cleaner or hand washed and air dried.

 

[dizzi]

MY KIDS ARE MY HOUSE KEEPERS! theya re the only ones i can afford, they get paid for each item checked according to what age they are, 13 year old 13 Cents per check, 10 year old 10 cents per check!!!!!!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I think there's a pretty big difference in helping to fold, sort and put away, and actually "doing laundry." My mom liked to tell the story of me folding my own diapers at age 2, and I did!!! Apparently I was pretty good at lining up the corners...

I'd say any age is fine to start helping fold and put away, but I'd really wait until 12-14 to let a child learn to wash. By that, I mean old enough to have an appreciation for the different fabrics, and sensible enough to be able to tell if Mom's cashmere sweater accidentally got in the dirty clothes pile. I'm not willing to have an entire drawer of pink underwear just so I can say my children "do" the laundry!!!

.

My 8 Y.O. is prob. better, than DH, at sorting. Reads all the labels, and makes sure she is doing it right, before she starts the washer. Will she always take such time. Maybe not. ANd if that happens she will not do so much. But for now, doing towels, socks, underwear, and jeans-she really can't screw up too bad

But I don't buy much dry clean only, and what she can do really helps me out. I work 50+ hours, a week, and don't have a housekeeper. My daughter feels like she is doing her share, and takes pride in the fact that she can help me out. She usually doesn't even accept the extra money I try to give her in allowance.

 

[CEDmom]

Learn how to do or actually do? My DD7 has been helping me since she was about 3. She loves putting the clothes into the washer and is a great sock sorter . As far as doing all by herself, I guess when she's a teenager - maybe 14 or so. I hope that she'll help because she wants to as a favor to me not because I make her.

 

[golfgal]

My kids have been helping since they were little. They have been required to sort their own laundry for years. They are WAY better then DH, which was the goal in the first place. DD has started doing the laundry for pay and I am with that idea! My goal since before I had kids was that they would know how to do laundry WELL before they started college. I gave many, many laundry lessons freshman year in college because probably 1/2 my dorm had no idea how to even turn on the washing machine.

 

[luv2nascar]

My dd is 11 1/2 and I have taught her to do laundry. Does she no. I do require her to put her clothes away. She does help by putting clothes in dryer if I ask her etc. 3 yr old puts clothes in dryer if I am doing it and will carry clothes to her room.

 

[Daisy Chick]

I don't have the kids doing laundry. I'm doing it all until they move out.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

I've been doing the whole family's laundry since I was 7.

 

[Felicia]

This is an eye-opening thread for me! When growing up, my mother always did the family laundry. I was only responsible for getting them into the laundry room and then putting them away when cleaned. Honestly, I can not remember any of my friends having to do their own laundry either. My children, 10 & 13, will sort their clothes and put them away, but I do the washing, drying and folding.

 

[Nicolepa]

Learn how to do or actually do? My DD7 has been helping me since she was about 3. She loves putting the clothes into the washer and is a great sock sorter . As far as doing all by herself, I guess when she's a teenager - maybe 14 or so. I hope that she'll help because she wants to as a favor to me not because I make her.

I'm thinking something along the lines of being able to do the dish towels 1x a week, or jeans etc. Not all of their laundry, or even anyone elses unless it was something like jeans that don't have special requirements.