As a mom, your day never ends, and laundry is one chore that seems to multiply no matter how many loads you do every day. Take back your house from the piles of laundry when you get your kids to help. Their invaluable assistance is beneficial for you and trains them to be prepared to do their own laundry when they leave home. Just use this helpful guide to give your kids laundry chores.
Getting Started
Before you assign laundry duties to your kids, get everyone together for a talk. Explain that the clothes don’t magically wash, fold and put themselves away. You need help, and each child will have some responsibility from now on.
All your kids, whether they’re two or teens, can put their dirty clothes in the hamper. Make that task easier when you place a hamper in each child’s room and in the bathrooms.
You’ll also want to provide plenty of hangers, hooks and drawers your kids can easily reach. And label the dresser drawers to make it easier for kids to put all their pajamas, socks and school clothes away with minimal help from you.
Now that you’ve had the laundry talk, you’re ready to assign age appropriate laundry chores.
Toddlers and Preschoolers
Between the ages of two and five, your kids are eager to help. Harness their eagerness and energy by putting them to work. They can sort piles of dirty clothes by colors as you sing silly songs or dance. They can even help you fold towels then use their toy truck or shopping cart to haul the clean towels to the linen closet.
Lower Elementary
Kids age six to nine are able to match clean socks, empty the dryer and wash off the outside of your laundry appliances once a week. They’re also able to carry clean laundry to their bedrooms, but you may need to help them put the clothes away neatly.
Tweens and Pre-teens
Older kids from 10 to 12 years old are ready for more responsibility. They can put away their clothes without your help, but you may need to remind them to do this chore neatly. Your older kids are also able to mark the clothes that have stains. Store colored clothespins in the laundry room to make it easier for the kids to tag stains you can then treat.
Teens
Younger teens should be comfortable folding and putting their clothes away as well as treating stains. They can also start washing clothes with guidance from you.
Your older teens will likely be completely self-sufficient when it comes to doing their own laundry. After all, in a few short years, they’ll be on their own! Teach teens to wash clothes properly, iron clean clothes and make minor repairs like sewing buttons on and repairing small tears.
Ideally, your kids will start helping with laundry when they’re toddlers. But it’s okay if that doesn’t happen. Assign your kids age appropriate laundry tasks no matter how old they are. They might balk at first, but they’ll thank you when they have their own kids—and loads of laundry they’ll gladly ask them to help wash!