How to do Laundry

Why do we as moms think that we need to tackle all of the household chores alone? We’re not the only ones that live there for crying out loud, especially if we have children old enough and more than capable. So it is time to teach our children how to do laundry.

If you feel comfortable with the maturity of your children, they can just as easily help you by taking on some of the headaches, I mean laundry. These are a few things to go over with your children to teach them how to help with doing the laundry.

How to Teach Your Child to do Laundry

Getting started teaching your kids how to do chores is a must as a parent. We often put it off because we want things done a certain way. The truth is, we should begin teaching and learn patience as they learn how to do things the correct way. As our kids get older, they need to learn independence and how to take care of themselves. That includes things like laundry.

This, along with other tips, is a big part of our post about How to Prepare Your Teen for College. It’s never too early or too late to start working with your kids to learn responsibility and how to take care of themselves and their household.

Things they will Need:

• Sorting Bins
• Step Stool (for the smaller children to reach easier)
• Detergent with an easy-pour Spout (Some larger detergents have a button to push for the detergent to go directly into the soap compartment.)

You can also teach them savings skills by using our homemade laundry detergent tutorial! To keep all of these things in order, check out our laundry room organization tips.

Teach how to sort dirty clothes

Make sure to teach them not to toss all their clothing into one wash cycle. Yikes! For the present, have them only focus on cleaning their own clothing. Show them how to sort out their whites, darks, jeans, and shorts to make separate loads.

If they have some deep stains on their clothing, set those aside for momma to treat and wash properly. Teach them to pay close attention to the tags inside the clothing so that they are washed correctly. You can use my tips for how to remove laundry stains using lemon essential oil.

Teach them About Your Washing Machine

Another important thing to show them is how to wash their clothes in cold water. (This can save future headaches). Show them what buttons and dials they will need to push and turn in the right order to get the job done right. Point out how much detergent is supposed to be put in the soap compartment.

This is another great way to help younger kids learn about numbers and fractions for measurement!

Show Them How the Dryer Works

Show your children where the lint trap is, and that it needs to be cleaned out after every load. Point to all the buttons and what they do. To make things easier, make sure that your children dry their clothes on the normal setting.

Teach Them How to Fold

Now comes the fun part. Find a big open space that you can have a folding party. Teach your children how to fold, by doing it alongside them for a couple of weeks, by turning clothes right-side out, pairing socks, and laying out shirts. Before too long, they’ll be pros!

Where to Put their Clothes away

Lastly, show them where they need to put their clothes away, one pile at a time. Keep it neat. Make sure that their drawers are easily accessible and not too full.

It’s time to celebrate a small victory! Not only is that one small relief for you, but it teaches your children how to be more responsible and appreciate all the things mom does. If you have involved your kids in helping around the house, what other things do you have them help you with?

More Parenting Tips

What Teens Need to Know Before Applying for a Job

How to Raise a Teen Who Isn’t Entitled

The Dangers of Teenage Vaping