Laundry, that never-ending battle of dirty clothes piling up day after day! One moment you’ve got an empty hamper, the next a full-blown laundry marathon.
If you’ve got kids at home, and they are old enough to help, it’s time to take that giant leap and ask them to lend a hand. Learning how to do laundry is an important educational tool. Just remember your college days, where you brought everything home to mom because you didn’t know white from darks, delicate to heavy-duty.
Now is the time to share the load, so to speak. Kids do like chores, believe it or not. They just need to learn the basics, and then you’ve got yourself an extra pair of hands, and a brief break for focusing on the other million “to do” things on your list.
Today’s washers and dryers are electronic marvels and so easy to use that your children will become laundry pros in no time.
Where to start?
You wouldn’t expect your toddler to tackle the laundry, they’d rather tackle the dog. But starting young builds a foundation that will last them for a lifetime of laundry prowess.
- Make tasks age-appropriate
- Learning to do laundry is a training process
- Motivation
- Teaches independence
- Time and patience are key
- Teaches responsibility
- Teaches life skills
- It teaches kids how to care for and respect one’s belongings
What are some tips?
The website Mom Saves Money offers some great tips to get kids to help with the laundry:
Start young: Start engaging in laundry tasks like folding a washcloth in half, it’s an introduction. Plus, the kids think it’s fun to help mom.
Let go of perfection: When kids fold laundry, it will not be hotel quality folding, so remember to avoid criticism and praise their efforts. Kids will feel a sense of accomplishment. Mistakes are part of the learning process.
Create a child-friendly laundry room: Make the laundry room kid-friendly, so they can help you in the laundry area. Remember to make sure that all laundry detergent and products are on a high shelf and out of reach for small children.
Next, keep a small trash can near the dryer to toss in dryer lint and throw away trash left in pockets. At our house, we keep a coin jar for those dimes, nickels, and quarters left in pockets. It’s amazing how quickly the coins add up!
For the older kids: If you’re teaching the older kids the fine art of laundry, leave sticky notes with instructions for the dials.
At what age do you start?
There is no magic age for getting your kids to help with laundry but according to https://www.amomstake.com/laundry-chores-for-kids/ there is age-appropriate guidance for parents, including:
- Ages 2–3: Help unload the dryer
- Ages 4–5: Match socks
- Ages 6–7: Gather and put laundry away
- Ages 8–9: Sort clothes
- Ages 10–11: Fold and hang clothes
- Ages 12–13: Start and transfer laundry loads
- Ages 14–15: Stain treatments and fabric types
- Ages 16–18: Dry cleaning and ironing
Some helpful hints include giving kids their own “kid-sized” laundry basket to put their dirty clothes in. Have set laundry days for the kids, put them on the calendar or their chore chart. Use a sticker chart as a reward for helping.
Just remember: Your child will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for a job well done while learning a valuable life skill.