How do you get them to pick up their dirty laundry??

Question

I have an almost 9 year old daughter, who is such a sweet child. Obedient, smart, just an all around great child! She's usually quite responsible too.

But for some reason, her clothes never make it into the basket. I have talked with her, etc. and I still find the dirties on the floor. Absolutely drives me nuts!

This is not a hard concept, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

She has always responded really well to positive reinforcement, so I'm hoping for some input on how I can get her to accomplish this small and helpful task.

I'm not against consequences too (taking a privilege away, etc), if this continues and does not improve.

A game, points, reward system, etc. Anyone have any technique that has worked well for this age group?

Answer 1

If its not in the hamper it does not get washed, is what I tell my 7 and 9 yr old girls. After not having her favorite shirt clean for 3 days in a row she got it. And now puts them in the hamper.

I know a few people will say make her do her own laundry and I even had a friend who did that. I think that is mean at this age. Try the not washing them, it was very effective on my 9 yr old. Kids putting away their own clean laundry is fine, and my 9 yr old will switch loads and fold towels but she is not required to do her own laundry, to me that is a bit ridiculous at this age.

Answer 2

Show her ONE time how to DO laundry.

Walk her thru the process of removing clothes and placing them in the dirty laundry  basket. Pick up the basket and show her how to sort clothes and so forth to put them in the washer, detergent, wash times, etc etc etc all the way to folding them and putting them away.

Now tell her that IF she does NOT place her clothes where they need to be to get cleaned, they will NOT get cleaned. The first time or two she wants that favorite shirt and it's stinky and stained, she will learn. Otherwise she will have to wash, dry, fold and put away her clothes herself. That's the alternative. You do the laundry or SHE does her own. No time like the present to learn that trick.

When she does what she is supposed to do, reward her with a treat! (take her to ice cream shop, buy her some 'expensive' jewelry at Claire's, etc).

This is no different than housebreaking  a puppy. Except in most instances the puppy picks up faster on what it is supposed to do, because dogs want to nothing more in life than please you. Kids, well, that's a different story!  ;)

Worked for me.

Answer 3

We have one hamper for everybody upstairs and downstairs. Everyone is taught to put their laundry in there. Even my 2 yr old boy does it. If you have a common place to put laundry at home, and everyone's doing it esp. the adults, it's easier for us to teach the kids good habits this way.

Answer 4

We've had the same problem in our house and we're still working on it.  I used to get crazy, but pick up the dirty clothes myself and then tell my son he needs to do it.  It was easier. Now I make my son do it. I know it sounds too simple, but it seems to be helping!

Answer 5

This is very simple to resolve.  Inform your daughter that she seems to not care much for her clothes, hence they land on the floor.  You know that there are many children who would appreciate having such clothes.  Future clothing found on the floor will immediatedly be donated and NOT replaced.  Then carry through.  You will donate clothes a few times.  Then they will all land in the hamper.

Answer 6

Give her a laundry basket, and ONLY wash clothes that are put in the laundry basket. You don't have to be harsh about this unless she flat out refuses, just say to her every so often "I'm going to do some washing now, can you bring me your laundry basket with your dirty clothes in it please". Half the time she'll have to pick them off the floor to put in it first...but gradually she'll get in the habit of dropping them in the basket when she takes them off.

If she's obnoxious about it, then simply don't wash her clothes. Don't pick them up, don't do anything with them. After the first couple of times she wants to wear her favourite shirt and she can't because it's in a crumpled heap from last time, she'll realise you are not going to give in and if she wants her clothes washed she has to do something about it. And if you are embarrassed about her friends coming round and seeing dirty clothes all over her floor, tell her she can't have anyone round until she picks them up.

Answer 7

In my family, if it didn't get put in the hamper, it didn't get washed...that simple.  Also their sheets didn't get washed unless they stripped the bed and put them in the hamper..I did remake them with the clean sheets.

When the wash was done I put each child's neatly folded clothes in a pile for them to put away..if they didn't do it, it didn't get done....and I simply closed their door if they hadn't cleaned their room.

I figured I was a mom, not a slave...I had to teach, not wait on them.

It worked out quite well at our house,,,I started them at the age of six,,,they were old enough to do those things...

Good luck with your daughter,,,and if she knows you'll do it if she doesn't, you are not going to get her to do it....

Answer 8

My kids are 4,5 &6. they each have a laundry basket intheir room and they don't get dessert until laundry is picked up. I also make the 5 & 6 year old take their baskets downstairs at the end of the week. If they don't they, don't have clean play clothes and aren't allowed to play until its done. I will be starting this with my 4 year old when she gets a little better at going up and down the stairs (she's a bt of a clutz). That being said I don't know if what works fo rmy kids will work for yours and the age difference alone may make it harder to relate the two. Whats motivating to a 6 year old may not be to a 9 year old.

Any suggestions on getting a husband to do this? My kids are great at it but my hubby is a bit of a piggy when it come to what lands on the bathroom floor ;-)

Answer 9

Does she have a basket in her room for this. That is what I have resorted to for my girls.  My 6 yo does this automatically, but my 9 yo needs constant reminding.  Just keep telling her to do it.  After school she always take off the socks shoes the minute she walks through the door, so I tell her put them away, same with bath time, put clothes where they go.

Answer 10

MAKE A GAME OUT OF IT AND LET THEM TAKE THEIR CLOTHES OFF IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND THROW THE CLOTHES IN THE WASHER THEM SELVES.  TELL THEM YOU ARE TIMING THEM AND IF THE GET DONE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THEN THE GET A SMALL PRIZE.  MY 4 YEAR OLD GOES CRAZY FOR THIS.

Answer 11

Put her over your knee and spank her butt.

See how fast she'll listen

Answer 12

Kids of this age need to be made to toe the line for something as simple as putting their clothes into the hamper.  Consequences?--sure--why not stand over her until they are all put in the basket without a fuss--or perhaps she would like to help you with the laundry chores now and then.  A point system would be silly.  It is just common courtesy for her to do this for you.  She's old enough, so tell her that.  Had she been used to doing this from the getgo, there would not be an issue today.

Answer 13

At the age of 9 she is old enough to start doing some of her own washing - make an agreement with her that she has to put her clothes in the wash basket or she will need to do her own washing.  Tell her you will dry and iron it, but teach her how to use the machine and when she starts to run out of clothes and can't wear her favorite dress one weekend because it's still lying crumpled on the floor she'll start to realise that it's much easier to put it in the wash basket and have you do it.  My sister did this and it works like a charm.  Even worked for her husband too and he can't be taught ANYTHING! ;)

Answer 14

i think it might just be one of those age things! Puberty and all that! I recall my mum going on at me about it and i just switched off to be honest- now i'm a mother myself and i have the same troubles with my son LOL!

The other problem my mum had was me putting my clean folded, ironed laundrey on the floor or the chair or anywhere but the wardrobe- i'm dreading THAT ONE!

:o)

Answer 15

I'm still trying to get my hubby (soon to be) to put his clothes in a hamper. I think some never learn.

Answer 16

She's old enough that she should know to put her clothes in the hamper.  My opinion is, if she doesn't put them in there, then they don't get washed.  You have to control the urge to go in there and pick up after her though.  Just let her know that you will only wash items that are in the basket.  If every last article of clothing that she owns is left on the floor rather than the basket, then she just won't have anything to wear.  She'll learn REAL quick.

Answer 17

The clothes she leaves on the floor, hide them from her for a little while.

Answer 18

What I used to do with my kids is if it wasn't in the basket or hamper, it didn't get washed. I refused to pick up dirty clothes off the floor, even if it was right next to the basket.

Answer 19

You need to pick your battles!  You say shes usually responsible and obedient, well it's HER room, close the door so you don't have to look in at it.  This is YOUR problem, it drives you nuts, it doesn't bother her!  On Saturday mornings, just ask her to bring her laundry down so it can get washed.  Make a big deal out of something that warrants it, and let this slide.  My room was a disaster area as a kid.  I keep my house neat and clean as an adult!  Seriously, you can't expect her to be perfect and this is such a normal thing for kids to do, why make such a deal of it, when you can just shut her door?

Answer 20

Tell them that either they do it and until it is done they have no privileges. Don't reward them for doing what they are supposed to do on a normal basis.

Answer 21

Well, you could go two ways about this - either offer rewards for her getting it done, or (and this is the way I'd go) refuse to wash anything that doesn't make it into the hamper (put one in her room to make it easier).  When she has to wear the same shirt to school a couple of days in a row because she has no clothes left, or runs out of underwear and socks, she'll start to come around.

Answer 22

These are some great ideas and suggestions you have so far, the one thing I have to add is that all of my older children 10, 4 and almost 6, are notorious for leaving their clothes, clean or dirty, out in the floor. I tell them constantly to pick it up and then I realized that my husband and I are not the best at keeping our clothes picked up either, some socks here and there or a clean outfit that didn't look right, or just clothes that need to be put away, so I decided that my kids will only live up to the standards I live up to not strive to. I'm trying to get better at keeping my room clean and teaching them how to keep their room clean. They are kids, they need help and they will eventually be able to do it on their own!