A Lesson in Laundry

Christmas came early at my house!!  We started new daily task charts with my boys and I've been so pleased to see them continue to follow through a month later.  Past attempts haven't worked so well but the oldest is feeling really empowered this time and his younger brother is always ready to follow.

Sorry for the awful pic but I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to get a better one : )

 Their charts, which I found here,  include very simple things like getting dressed, putting clothes in their laundry basket, brushing teeth, and setting the table.  I clip a new chart on a clipboard that hangs on a hook with their aprons and dusters each week.  They carry the charts with them as they complete their tasks and hang them back up when they are done.  My oldest is feeling so great about his ability to contribute that he surprised me one morning (and several mornings since) by loading and unloading my washing machine and drier without being asked!

Proud Laundry Boys

Being willing to take advantage of a good thing, I decided to give my boys a laundry "lesson" so my son could start the machine on his own (without jamming the machine or overdoing it with the detergent).  By moving a step stool into the laundry room and moving my own laundry basket into my closet (thanks for the offer but I think I prefer to wash my own clothes) I was able to accommodate my little laundry workers.  I taught them how to sort whites from coloreds and how full to fill the machine.  I taught them about the different water temperatures and what the different dials mean (and which ones they shouldn't adjust without asking first).  They now know how much detergent to use and when to put it in.  They know to check the lint filter and which setting they should use to dry.  Believe it or not, they were fascinated by all of this.  Might as well teach a child a skill when he displays an interest then argue with him about it when he's a teenager (okay, I'm sure my boys will still groan about laundry when they're older but at least they will know how to do it).  Laundry today was a good as a party as far as they were concerned.  This won't be added to their list of tasks, but they will sure be welcome to help when they are interested.  Now if I could just convince my husband that there's nothing he would rather do in the morning then put clothes away...all my laundry dreams come true!  : )