If you’ve ever washed your tween’s clean or barely worn clothes. Or had them angry with you because their favorite shirt wasn’t clean – it’s time for them to step up and do their own laundry.
Doing Laundry Develops Your Tweens Scheduling and Planning Skills
My daughters started doing their laundry when they were eight.
Initially, we set laundry days. I showed them how to sort their clothes so they wouldn’t end up with everything a sickly shade of pink. And how to take care of delicate items. They learned how to de-wrinkle stuff in the dryer and discovered that some clothes need to be washed and dried differently – so they didn’t shrink.
And it only took a few times of madly rooting through their dirty hamper and trying to freshen up their favorite shirt before they figured out when they should do their laundry and how long it took.
Responsibility Creates Appreciation and Awareness
When I go to a hotel, one of the things I enjoy most is having clean towels appear each day. I appreciate this because I know the work required to have those fresh towels waiting for me.
When we allow our tweens to do their laundry, it creates an awareness of the work we do as parents. And, on occasion, when you choose to offer to do their laundry for them, they’ll appreciate it.
Laundry is an Easy Step Towards Independence
The stakes are low, and the learning opportunities are high. And, when you transfer this responsibility to your tween, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the subtle shift in your relationship.