Getting my teenager to fold her laundry

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Teenagers and Older children

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Petra

Mon, May 13 2019, 12:30 am

How does one get a 14 yr old to put effort into properly folding and putting away laundry? Actually, I don’t even care about it being put away properly. My DD can wash her own clothes but can’t bring herself to fold and put the clothes away. So, she just grabs her clean yet ridiculoulsy wrinkled clothes out of a laundry basket and dons them. We have taught her how to fold and how to hang things. She just cant seem to motivate herself. We dont make her do her laundry all the time but just occasionally. Especially when we need an extra hand and she is asked to contribute to the effort. I’m hoping one day she will just mature and she will figure out it’s better to wear nicely laundered and non-wrinkled clothes but I’m worried she will not and will be a bit of a slob.

crust

Mon, May 13 2019, 12:46 am

Not being a slob is part of my hashkafa so if I would have to pick between the two I would put an emphasis on that more than on folded laundry.

There's a very easy way to straighten out wrinkled clothing btw.
Put everything back in the dryer with a wet or damp peice of laundry. After 5-10 minutes everything will be wrinkle free.

teachkids

Mon, May 13 2019, 3:35 am

Some of us just hate folding laundry. Teach her which clothing types need to be hung or folded right away so it's not a crazy job. I can handle pulling out shirts and skirts to fold and then I just leave the shells and underwear that don't wrinkle until I get to it.

saw50st8

Mon, May 13 2019, 6:51 am

Ask her why folding is so hard for her.

amother

Azure

Mon, May 13 2019, 6:59 am

I'm in my 30s and still don't fold laundry LOL

Just leave it, not worth a fight.

Kumphort

Mon, May 13 2019, 7:09 am

Buy this. Downy Wrinkle Release Spray Plus, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U.....46ENP

Let her spray her clothes and smooth out wrinkles if it’s a problem

monseymom25

Mon, May 13 2019, 7:26 am

Maybe start by folding it yourself and asking her to put it away in it's proper place. Tell her you'll start this way but eventually you would like her to fold it. Then give her a small amount to fold and slowly increase that until she's doing it herself.

Petra

Mon, May 13 2019, 11:31 am

Yes, we have a well used "wrinkle release" setting on our dryer and we have the Downy wrinkle release spray.

We did start out folding clothes and then asking the kids to put away. I don't care how they do it and most of the time it all gets shoved into one drawer. Oh well.

But it's really time our 14 yr old actually start to fold her own clothing occasionally. She has already been taught what is best to hand and how and such. Falls on deaf ears. I think the state of her room impacts her mood. Everyone enjoys a clean, non-cluttered room to relax and unwind.

Just wondering if this is a common teenage issue and if so, do they grow out of it or is it just their personality?

groovy1224

Mon, May 13 2019, 11:36 am

Can you maybe for now come in to her room and fold laundry together with her? Make it a bonding thing, with the 2 of you doing it it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes, and hopefully after a while she'll get used to the chore and get used to having neatly folded clothes and be motivated to do it on her own.

I hate hate hate folding laundry, I do it now because I have to but it's my #1 worst chore. When DH or one of my kids does it with me, it obviously cuts the time it takes in half but also helps just pass the time.

Ruchel

Mon, May 13 2019, 4:59 pm

let her deal

ra_mom

Mon, May 13 2019, 5:10 pm

Make it easier or more exciting for her.
Either give her enough closet space and hangers to hang everything up in the closet.
Or buy her a laundry folding board so she just has to lay the garment flat on it, and then flip the folds closed for a perfectly folded garment.

Last edited by ra_mom on Mon, May 13 2019, 5:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

ladYdI

Mon, May 13 2019, 5:12 pm

Can you tie it to a reward or pay her?
I let my kids watch a movie while they fold laundry. Works really well!

amother

Magenta

Mon, May 13 2019, 6:01 pm

I agree with attaching it to something pleasant. Either time with you, or maybe watching something. (I listen to podcasts while I fold - definitely helps!)

But I do think it's important. 14 is way too young to say, "the heck with folding, I'd rather be a crumpled mess" (not that I understand adults saying that either, but at least they've learned the right way to do it and are making a choice to abstain. 14 year olds are still learning.

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