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?

I get the non-ironed clothes thing, and two colleagues at work are on the verge of converting me with things like t-shirts and jeans, but with school uniform, like my suit trousers and work shirts, they look better ironed.

I'm an ironer - I iron bedding and tea towels, though not underwear, apart from vests. Some things just feel nicer ironed, but that is entirely my personal preference.

I'm interested to know what you think are the life skills a 12-year-old should have.

12 is definitely not too young, in my opinion. I think that it's a useful life skill to be able to iron shirts, dresses and trousers as a minimum. We only iron for weddings and job interviews though.

I'm sure his future partner - if they prefer ironed clothes - will thank you for teaching him. Ironing can also be a good source of income for teenagers. I used to get paid to iron clothes.

It depends on the child. Dd1 was 10. Dd2 is considerably more clumsy and likely to injure herself so I haven't started her yet at 11 but it weighs on my mind.

My iron actually says 'suitable for 8 years upwards'

I rarely iron things but I agree it is useful to know how, or at least being confident using one effectively.

Sounds to me as though your husband thinks it's 'women's work'. I definitely knew how to use an iron by the time I was 10.

I don't iron but I can. DH irons his shirt every morning so is much quicker than me.

12 seems perfectly reasonable, I think I used to do Dad's shirts for extra pocket money earlier than that!

I think a 12yo should be able to cook a handful of meals from scratch, change a plug and a lightbulb, and do basic sewing repairs, including buttons.

You iron tea towels? Have you not got anything better to do? Have you got any brothers?

If my kids go to a secondary school with shirts that require ironing, that will be the age they learn

I deliberately don't wear shirts as I hate ironing - can't imagine that will change in the next 5 years.

Tea towels!?!?!

Skills for a 12yo:-
*strip and remake his own bed
*make toast
*make a cup of tea
*cook a simple dinner (pasta bake, even if a jar if sauce), omelette, jacket pot
*run the vac round

Im not saying they should do all of these every week but are certianly age appropriate.

Stop doing their ironing. If they want ironed clothes they can do it themselves. It isn't rocket science - do kids really need instruction over and above 'be careful the iron gets really hot'?

I'm a bit at these responses.

I would have thought that most peoples wardrobes would have at least one or two teams that would need ironing.

I only iron once in a blue moon but using it far more when sewing.

Where is everyone buying their wrinkle free clothes from? I've never seen a woman's shirt that was iron free, only mens.

Ha ha!!

I don't own an iron. Kids can teach themselves if they ever reach an age that they feel it's necessary.

They can replace a motherboard in a pc, clean a squid, grow vegetables and give powerpoint presentations to large groups of people without feeling nervous.

I should have known that my relationship with my exH was doomed when I stayed the weekend with his parents. He was 27. We were getting ready to go out and I asked him where the iron and ironing board were kept and he told me he had no idea.

My brother, on the other hand, was employer by my father before his teens to iron shirts in his menswear shop. He used to be paid by his teenage friends to iron their shirts before going out at night.

My boys will learn around 9 or 10.

I think I learned in my teens, so long as they know how to do it by the time they leave home I reckon it's ok. Funnily enough ds (13) can do most household chores (laundry, Hoover, cook a basic meal, change a bed etc) but I've never let him near the iron.. Think the important thing is having the same rules for a dd as a ds iyswim.

I was three, but my mother was weird.
Thirteen if they haven't done it before. Most of them will need something smoothed before then.

Dd learned how to iron at Brownies at 8yo.

I never iron any more but I did iron my school shirts from about 12. It's a skill worth learning even if you choose not to use it as an adult.

I think ironing also helps "clean" the fabric because it's hot.

Not necessary in day to day life but if you're visiting someone at the hospital you should wear clean & ironed clothes. Thats what the nurse in my DD's SCBU told me anyway.

When my parents started dating, in the 1950s, my grandmother made my mother iron a shirt in front of her the first time my father took her over to meet his parents. She passed the test.

Ironing helps 'clean' the fabric?? What? Surely you've just washed it?

my dd love ironing aged 10....aged 19, she has now regressed has become a student who seems to buy an awful lot of clothes requiring ironing which she only seems to wear when she is at home....hmmm wonder why?!!

I've never ironed a thing in my life and I'm 27.

TurnOffTheTv

I guess cleaned cloths can sit in the cupboard for a while. I think she meant clothes should be washed (that day/last week etc..) then ironed before you put them on IYSWIM

I think that's what nurses do with their uniforms. Always clean but freshly ironed.