It's never too early to teach your kids the fine art of laundry. Even if you think your son or daughter is too young for the chore, it's good to start showing them the ropes early so that it becomes part of what they know as they get older. There are different ways you can approach this; you can make it fun, make it a daily routine, and — of course — praise them and reward them all the way. Following you'll find our tips for getting kids involved in this most important home chore.
Make Laundry Fun
Make Sorting Easy
Once your child is used to sorting dirty laundry, he can start sorting clean laundry, too. Figuring out which shirt is whose is a great way to practice “big” and “little,” and matching socks is a fun game for toddlers.
If your younger kids inherit their big sibling’s clothes, use a permanent marker to make sorting easier. “Put one dot on the inside of the oldest child’s clothes,” says McCready. “When you pass that shirt down to the second child, add a second dot.” Preschoolers will love combining sorting with counting.
Teach Them to Fold
When you’re ready to teach kids to fold laundry, start with washcloths. Teach kids to match the corners to each other, smooth the fold, and then match the corners again. “Model it for them and show them how to do it,” says McCready. “Then give them an opportunity to do it on their own.” And don’t worry if their attempts aren’t perfect—just give them lots of encouragement and plenty of chances to practice.
Make Equipment Kid-Friendly
When you’re ready to trust your kids to load the washer and run the machine, give them visual cues to help them know which settings to use. “Use colored stickers to mark which temperature to use,” says McCready. Put a white sticker on hot and a brightly colored sticker on cold, and your kids should be able to push the buttons without ruining clothes.
Make Detergent Kid-Sized
When your kids are tall enough (and responsible enough!) to measure detergent, they’re ready to start a load on their own. But a family-size bottle of liquid detergent is too big for little hands to pour, so transfer some to a more kid-friendly detergent bottle. “Put some detergent in an old dish detergent bottle,” says McCready, “so they can easily squeeze it out.”
Make Measuring Simple
Most detergent measuring cups include two lines—one for a front-loader and one for a top-loader. Make measuring simpler for kids by marking the appropriate line with a permanent marker. “Kids need everything broken down into small steps,” says McCready. The simpler you can make each step, the better.
Teach Good Laundry Habits
Even if you tend to get lazy about laundry, teach your kids how to do it right. “Teach them the most efficient way to do things,” says McCready. “When the dryer stops, teach them to take clothes out right away and hang up things that might wrinkle.” This teaches kids the importance of finishing a task. Says McCready, “It gives kids a sense of accomplishment to start a task and then finish it all the way through.”
