How to Teach your KIDS how to do their OWN LAUNDRY

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By sneedc
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (10 Ratings)

too much!

Why complain one more day about doing too much laundry for your kids? Why listen to their whining, wondering when you'll be getting their dirty laundry done? If they are ten years or older, it's time they learned their way around the laundry room.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Show kids once or twice
Watch them do it once or twice
Have supplies at their disposal
Let them write it down and post near washer/dryer
Be patient

Step 1

light, medium, dark

In Jesus' own words, give a man a fish, and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, and he is fed for a lifetime. It's time to teach these kids, metaphorically speaking, how to "fish". Either do one-on-one sessions or an all-out presentation for the younger set (or include your spouse, too, this could be quite beneficial for you!). Depending on how YOU like your laundry done, familiarize them with your procedures. If you sort laundry, do that. Ditto goes with pre-treating stains. If you have boys, there is a lot of that going on in the laundry room.
Step 2

clorox for whites

If you do whites separately in hot water, explain how to use bleach so they don't have to learn by experimentation and force you to purchase them new clothes for their screwing up.
Step 3

dryer sheets

Explain the difference with fabric softener and/or dryer sheets, etc. Show them the different settings, etc. Encourage notetaking. One of my kids got the full picture with the visual demo; the other had to write down the steps. Give each kid the tools they need to succeed!
Step 4

filler up

If you're like me, I do everything but towels in COLD water. To save energy, run the machines after dark, and always always do FULL LOADS. Whatever your program, teach them well and you will free up a whole lot of time throughout your week. Having laundry baskets for each household member helps in emptying the dyer and having them take their "folded" clothes to their room for further processing. It may take a few tries, but keep after them. This is a good start at their becoming familiar with household tasks and independence. Next week, work on their loading/unloading the dishwasher skills.