What age were you when you learned to wash your own clothes?

Question

Me personally, my mom wouldn't let me mess with HER machines until I moved out when I was almost 19 and my husband had to show me how, lol.
With my oldest I started letting her use them with supervision at about 15 and now she is almost 18 and does it all by herself.
My next to the oldest is almost 13 and I am wondering when to start teaching her how to do her own laundry maybe in about a year or less.

Your thoughts or experiences?

Answer 1

Hi Lyn S. I was about 18. Now my wife dosen't let me do the laundry. She say's it's somthing to do with clothes not fitting again.

Answer 2

I started to wash my own clothes when I was about 9 years old. My mum did not believe in washing machines so I had to do it by hand with a washboard (they still do sell them I think). I did it once a week. It took me about 3 hours to get it done. I also did my own ironing with an old National dry iron about the same time. And I did cleaning on rotational basis. And I made breakfast for the family on a rotational basis as well.

About a few years later, my sister (4 years older) and I pooled our allowance and bought a washing machine without my mother's say so. She it allowed to stay but we were still made to at least scrub the clothes once before putting it into the machine.

It kinda paid off as now I work as a design engineer in Multinational company in the branch that makes irons worldwide. AND I know how to cook for myself too. Learnt that around the same age.

btw. In case you were wondering, no, we were not super poor or living in a third world country at that time that promotes child labour. That was just how it was with my family about 25 years ago.

I hope that helps.

Answer 3

I learned when I was 8 how to separate colors and at 9 how to add the detergents and then at 10 I learned how to do the whole process on my own. I more or less had to because my mom worked nights and was too tired to do it all the time and my dad was a truck driver. If I wanted clean clothes I needed to do it myself. I think the earlier a child learns, the better! That must have been embarrassing, needing your husband to show you how! I had to teach people in college too an they were almost ashamed they didn't know how to yet!

Answer 4

I learned after I left home, just like you. I was 17. With my 2 boys, I taught them how when they were 9 or 10. I didn't make them do it as a chore, but I showed them how, and told them if they ever want to, they could do it themselves. It was interesting, because they did want to and they took it upon themselves to do their own laundry and did a great job of it too!!! They are now 23 and 25.

Answer 5

My son was a bed wetter so he learned to load and turn the machine on when he got up at about 5 years, his sister did her own laundry from 10, husband does his own, everyone was responsible for their own clothes no colour runs.

Answer 6

Mum encouraged us to have a go early so we could help around the house there were 6 of us so she needed everyone to chip in so loading the machine was no big deal, on the other hand doing the Ironing sent everyone running so boring.

Answer 7

I was little, too. With younger brothers around and my mom was a haphazard housekeeper, it fell to me to help out. I remember hating going down there in the spooky ooky basement and it was something I considered HARD work so I would purposely overload the machines, pink the whites, etc just to get out of doing it. Never worked.

Answer 8

I started when I was seven or so, maybe a little younger. My parents were going through a divorce and I did everything myself since they were arguing settlements and such. This is also the time when I learned how to make soup, mac n cheese, pasta, etc.

Answer 9

I was 9 years old and I begged and begged my mom to let me wash my owns clothes, she finally agreed with the stipulation that once I started i would be responsible for ALWAYS doing my own laundry..I stupidly agreed!

Answer 10

I was 10 my daughter is 9 and she can do laundry.