Parents: Teaching your child how to do laundry?

Question

What age is a good age to start doing that? Was it easy for them to grasp the concept of it all?

Answer 1

I was BANNED from touching the washer until I was like 16...I was 10 when they first tried to teach me how to wash and I put almost the whole thing of detergent in the washer on top of that I put red clothes in with white clothes...IF I were you I would wait or monitor them when they wash until both of yall are comfortable

Answer 2

My kids help me do the laundry (not every time, obviously, but occasionally) from when they're around 4.  We sort laundry into piles and I talk about how to separate colors from whites (and when they put something into the wrong pile we talk about why I'm moving it).  They put the clothes in the washer, put the detergent in with my supervision, I ask them if it should be hot or cold (and correct them if they get it backwards) and whether it looks to them like a big or small load (for the settings on the washer).  They move clothes from the washer to the dryer and we talk about what shouldn't go in the dryer and why.  They adore cleaning the lint screen, lol.  We talk about what dryer setting to use for the load we're doing and they turn it on.

By the time they're 7, they're making all the right decisions.  I've had my 9-year-old successfully start loads when I wasn't watching.

Answer 3

my mom started teaching my to hang things on the line during the summer when i was 8 or 10 and i helped with the wash and separating the clothes about the same age.. started doing my own clothes about 12-14 my mom would always check the load to make sure i wasnt over loading the washer..

i think its important so they can learn to care for themselves as adults.. kids cant always count on their parents to be their.. next thing you know they will be going off to college and calling to ask how to cook and do this and that .. i know a girl thats 22 and still does that.. its scary!

Answer 4

my parents didn't teach me until 17. and it was hard to pick up. it would be ridiculous to teach them any younger than 15.

Answer 5

My mom taught me at 7's.

Answer 6

I think a good age would be when they turn 13.

Just because it will teach them responsibility a lot sooner.

Answer 7

I started doing some of my own laundry (mostly clothing) when I was 12, I just watched my parents doing various different kinds of laundry for a while and then tried it myself. The first few times I had one of them watch me to make sure I was doing it correctly and after that I was able to refine my technique to my liking.

Answer 8

I started doing my own laundry when I was about 12-13. Ever since before I can remember I was always helping my mom fold laundry and put it away, so I already knew how to do that. Then I just picked up how to use the washer/dryer and my mom made sure I knew I could come to her if I had any questions.

I'm not sure how most kids learn it, since I know I think differently from most people (I was the one that wanted to do my own laundry at first XD) but maybe you could make a mental list of all the steps you do to do one load of laundry and introduce them to your kid one or two steps at a time?