At what age should a child start ironing?

[Boogers]

H and I had a big argument last night about the things that DS(12) can and can't do. I said DS should be learning how to iron by now, to which H strongly disagreed.

I remember ironing my dad's hankerchiefs when I was about 7 or 8, and when I was about 12 or 13 I was ironing my school uniform on a Sunday evening (in autumn it was 5 shirts, 3 box pleated skirts, 1 blazer, in summer it was 5 dresses and 1 blazer).

DS had no issues with co-ordination or ability to sense hot and cold, there is no reason why he can't learn to use an iron. H says that he and his brother never ironed when they were younger (his brother is 40 and has never ironed in his life; his parents, my in-laws, do it all for him).

Who is being unreasonable here, me or H? Should I encourage DS to learn how to iron?

But hanging carefully to avoid all creases does take time.

It takes much less time than ironing.

Although when I'm in the mood, I don't mind standing ironing and watching something good on TV and I'll do everyone's ironing. It takes me a maximum of half an hour once a week - including my white cotton pillow cases

Why do pillow cases need ironing? Obviously if you want to spend your life ironing things that don't need ironing like pillow cases or you like wearing clothes that crease easily that is up to you. It doesn't make ironing an essential life skill that children need to learn though.

Just saying we make choices. When I was working full time with a young child, a cleaner was what I dreamed of. I'd even (and briefly had) a cleaner who came in once a fortnight. Dh didn't like the idea - so he now does all the cleaning

I found the 20-30 minutes ironing on a Sunday night while watching the news quite a useful way to both wind down before bed and to get in the zone for the coming week at work.

Just saying we make choices. When I was working full time with a young child, a cleaner was what I dreamed of. I'd even (and briefly had) a cleaner who came in once a fortnight. Dh didn't like the idea - so he now does all the cleaning

The people I know who iron spend a lot more than 20-30 minutes on it a week. Regardless, of course we all make choices regarding spending our time. The opinion of some posters that ironing is an essential life skill that has to be learned because not ironing = really crinkled clothes is ridiculous though. Lots of people don't iron and the fact some posters are amazed to hear this demonstrates that despite what they think, they can't tell the difference.

Never. I think its an evil past time.

Pearly, I wouldn't say you are damaging your child that's a bit dramatic and goady - - just that I consider it lazy not to run an iron over your child's clothes. This is my personal preference and my opinion. I would imagine that if your child is used to un ironed clothes they neither notice or care. Mine would because they're used to it

I am also curious about what cycles people use that clothes don't come out with any creases after spinning.

espressotogo If children (including teenagers) don't care whether their clothes are ironed or not then you are only really ironing for your own satisfaction. You aren't actually doing your children any favours. If anything you are just doing yourself a favour which doesn't really meet the definition of a "non-lazy" parent.
Arguably if you really are giving them a preference for ironed clothes and not teaching them how to hang clothes so they don't crease etc you are actually setting them up for a lifetime of extra work.

But we can tell the difference. Just because we don't go around telling strangers that they look like a bag of shit doesn't mean we can't tell the difference. I've searched for the thread that someone put up of their DH wearing a half-ironed tee shirt and everyone could tell which half had been ironed. Couldn't find it - must have been in Chat.

I've tried the straight from the dryer to the hanger thing. And the hang them on the line thing. Clothes still look creased. There's no way I'd put them on without ironing. We do wear natural fibres though. Maybe that makes a difference. DP had a couple of non-iron shirts that he chucked away because the material felt like plastic.

Mary, yes God forbid that I set them up for a lifetime of having pride in their pressed clothing !
Yes I am obviously doing it for the thrill it gives me despite the untold damage it causes them 😊

Mary, yes God forbid that I set them up for a lifetime of having pride in their pressed clothing ! Yes I am obviously doing it for the thrill it gives me despite the untold damage it causes them

How will "pride in their pressed clothing" help them in life? Will it make them happier people? I seriously doubt it. Regardless, I'm not suggesting that by ironing you are damaging them or are a bad parent. I am just making the point that you are no better or less lazy as a parent than those who don't iron.

But we can tell the difference. Just because we don't go around telling strangers that they look like a bag of shit doesn't mean we can't tell the difference.

Nope, I have told a couple of people that I don't iron and they were very surprised. As for "looking like a bag of shit", that is a matter of opinion.

I've sent Partner back up to iron something before.

And are they gratifyingly obedient? I've never 'sent' my partner away to redo something about their appearance that doesn't meet with my approval.
Then again, I rarely iron anything, so I was clearly dragged out of the gutter.

Wouldn't it be more accurate to conclude that some people do notice un-ironed clothes, and some people don't?

I do notice. I don't particularly care one way or the other since I don't know the person wearing the clothes. They don't know that I've noticed as I manage to not run up to them and tell them.

I agree. It doesn't matter. It's pretty obvious that some things you can 'get away with' not ironing and others you can't, unless you don't mind looking a bit crumpled.

That said this thread isn't representative of most people I know. I don't anyone who doesn't iron/have things ironed at least a few things.

Downey Wrinke Release... Job done.

Nothing nicer than a freshly ironed pillowcase

Nothing nicer than a freshly ironed pillowcase

I can think of hundreds of things nicer than a freshly ironed pillowcase (many of them not suitable for discussion on a public forum)

That's not to say that a freshly ironed pillowcase isn't lovely, but it's surely not the greatest pleasure one can experience in life.

Kit really? nothing nicer? You really can't think of anything, at all, in your entire life experience, that is nicer than a freshly ironed pillowcase?

Nope, I have told a couple of people that I don't iron and they were very surprised

Oh come on, they weren't going to say 'well we thought you looked a bit crumpled,' were they?

:o Ruthy

To me, ironed clothes aren't worth the hassle of getting the ironing board out, putting water in the iron, waiting for it to heat up, then having to wait for it to cool down again and all this whilst not injuring myself or others. I don't enjoy ironed clothes that much, and I don't really care if a passing stranger thinks my t-shirt looks a bit crumpled. WRT pillowcases, I'm just happy if they are clean. And if I did pillowcases, I'd have to do the duvet cover too and even the thought of that exhausts me! But we have no clothes that need ironing. I have been known to use hair straighteners on collars before though.

Some people enjoy doing the ironing and/or having ironed things. I don't care enough about it to want to iron. I'm sure there are things I do enjoy doing that others don't.

The thing is, as long as the non ironers are getting on fine in life and have successfully secured and held down jobs and relationships and friendships etc. Etc who gives a flying fuck whether somebody else can tell whether they ironed their jeans/ jumper/ t shirt.

Nobody cares whether you can tell or not - that's what the people clutching their pearls about other people being able to tell seem unable to register.

Shirts need ironing, as do certain other things, but is perfectly possible to go through life happily without wearing or wanting to wear those things, and without any interest in the ironing police's view of my children's t shirts...

Mary, I don't consider myself morally superior because I iron my kids clothes. No their happiness does not depend on it - what a ridiculous thing to say ! I am just saying that it is personal preference - clothes look better ironed IMHO. I am entitled to think it's lazy not to do it just as you think it's a waste of time

Haha pretty I think your approach to ironing is very sensible and organised. In our house it has always piled up for several weeks while we all avoid the task, resulting in a mountain of clean washing that requires 3 hours of attention (while we all scrabbled around for unworn clothes in our wardrobe that hadn't seen the light of day since the 80s!) I know your method makes more sense, and I'm normally all for staying on top of things, but in reality it has never happened in this house!

Nobody cares whether you can tell or not - that's what the people clutching their pearls about other people being able to tell seem unable to register

Are you including me? Because I've already said that I barely iron myself, and don't give two hoots about other people's clothes.

I think this thread is the opposite of your comment really, that people do notice but don't care

There is very little pearl clutching going on, but a few non-ironers seem to take the hump that people actually notice that they haven't ironed!

Noticing is not the same as giving a ff about it!