When should a child start doing their laundry as far as putting it away or even helping fold it.?

Question

How old was your child when they put away their clothes?

Did they have to be neat in the drawer or did you make them put them neatly? Like their pajamas folded neatly not just thrown in there?

Answer 1

I used to have my boys help fold up their clothes and roll their socks into pairs and so on right from a young age.When they got a bit older I showed them how to hang up their school uniforms properly after school and put their shoes away neatly.

Mind you I had four of them on my own and needed order on the home! - but it was good discipline for them too for when they left home.

Answer 2

My daughter is 3 and already helps me fold her clothes. Sometimes, she folds better than I do! LOL She doesn't yet put them away though. She would probably just throw them in there and I wouldn't be able to find a thing.

Answer 3

You can have them help at a young age, say around 3 or 4. Be sure to praise them even if it's not folded correctly. Don't refold them in front of them. As they get older their folding gets neater. the drawers... i think they will always stay messy. Once a week have them straighten them out with you. A little head start on neatness is a good thing. They will learn from this.

Answer 4

I think kids should always help out but for little kids don't let them know its work make them think it's a game!! When they are 3 - 4 years old they can help!!

    Might not know much but still learning! from a 15 year old!

Answer 5

Mine was 5 when I started making her put away her own laundry.  She is 8 now.  I usually fold it, but she has to keep her dresser drawers neatly organized and put her other clothes on hangers.  She does pretty good most of the time.

Answer 6

You can start having small childen as young as 3 or 4 help you fold and put away clothes. Make a big fuss over how well they do it. Gradually increase their jobs so that they accept the idea. By the time they are 8 or 9 they should be keeping their rooms clean and their clothes put away neatly.

Answer 7

My daugher is 4.

She has to put her own dirty laundry in the basket next to the washer (i.e bring it down from her bedroom and put it in the laundry room)

She also has to pair her own socks - she has just mastered folding them together - and also put her own things away in her drawers.

My son is 5 weeks old and I won't expect him to help out quite just yet ;)

Answer 8

My granddaughter is 3 and likes to help fold the wash clothes then I have her carry a couple to the linen closet so she thinks she is helping too.

Answer 9

my 8 year old hangs up and puts away his own clothes. they are messy in the drawer but as long as they are not on the bed or floor i could care less.

my 4 year old helps me fold towels and puts her own socks, undies and shorts away. I do the hanging.

It's never to early to show them.

Answer 10

they can start helping as young as 3 or 4 it is not perfect but they get the idea then they can help you put away this lays the foundation for good habits. Then about 10 they can learn to do laundry and do their own or at the very least fold and put their own away.  My parents did not check often to make sure it was away neatly the did sometimes if things were hanging out make me refold

Answer 11

My daughters have been helping put away since they were old enough to understand the direction. I would say about 2-3. It was messy at first. I showed them how I liked it and they worked on it. Now they are 10 and 12, and it is still messy sometimes. I go through the drawers about once or twice a month when I help them do major cleaning in their rooms. If it is messy, really messy, because they were rushing or lazy, then I take everything out of the drawers and dump it in the floor. They have to refold and all that, so it made a difference. I rarely have to do that anymore.

When they were about 4 or 5, they started to help me fold. We started with their undies and wash cloths and towels. Then, it went to mating all the socks. Now they can fold just about everything except long night gowns and stuff.

A bit after 4 or 5 we began separating the colors and by the time they were 6 or 7, they could completely load the washer and all that. They actually do not mind doing it at all. I always help them because I didn't have children to have maids, but I wanted them to know how to do it all, just in case something happened to me. All of my family is gone, so I wanted to teach them everything I knew.

We also have this fun rule. When we find money in the laundry, whoever finds it gets to keep it. We call it 'bonus bucks'. I often stick a few dollars in the wash just to make it fun. I don't think they have caught on to that, but they love finding money.