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 learnt at around that age I think, it depends on the child and whether they can be trusted with it and if you say he knows about safety then yes he's definitely old enough!

I rarely iron now but used to help my mum out and iron all her work blouses now I only iron my own work uniform everything else is left to sort of..uncrease itself.

once knew a boy who was going off to board, aged 17, and had to be shown how to iron his own shirt. Absolutely ridiculous, what happened to the whole idea of life skills?
I'd have them at it as soon as they're big enough to safely reach the ironing board

10 is the age in this house, sort of accidental age it happened.

One DS (a pescatarian) is 12 and can cook spaghetti (lentil) bolognese, make himself an 'emergency' veggie burger and 'essential' pancakes. I'm always meaning to teach him other meals too; and start getting DS (he's 9 and can make and sandwich and toast toast!!) to start pitching in with meals. However I needed to ease up on my controlling manner when it comes to cooking!!

Everyone chips in with vacuuming, bin emptying and dishwasher loading and uploading. Beds are made by the one that sleeps in it from about the age of capability (seems to be around 8 for changing sheets). There's various other general things they do (load and put on a wash etc). None of them have allocated tasks though

Everyone knows that you do not leave the loo in a mess and to change the loo roll if they finish the last one. This knowledge does npt always translate itself into action however.

I definitely think cooking and laundry are useful, as is basic tidiness. DDs can both cook pasta dishes, Thai and Indian curries, stir fries, pizza from scratch and a variety of quiches. They are also both good bakers. But then I love to cook so they were always going to get the 'life's too short for ironing, go make brownies instead' thing from me.

TurnOffTheTv I have a stepbrother whom I've known for 21 years, though I'm not sure why that's relevant. I do iron tea towels though.

It's not a sexist 'women's work' thing as H does his fair share of the ironing and thinks nothing of getting the iron out on a Sunday afternoon and ironing whilst watching the match on the laptop. We treat both DCs equally, but whereas DD will jump in and ask if she can do the hoovering when I get the hoover out, DS has no interest in learning skills like that at all. It's almost as a pp said, that by the time they get to the teenage years they've lost interest, so best to start young.

The age that DC need to learn how to do anything is the age that they will require that particular skill and IMO most household chores do not need 'learning' because they are not difficult for anyone with a modicum of common sense . My DC are 23 & 16 , neither have ever ironed anything but then I also haven't ironed anything for several years - anything that needs ironing gets sent to the ironing lady .

apintandbrush- a "life skill"? Ironing is hardly rocket science.

Our dc all had to prove they could iron when they were in cubs, to get one of the badges, so some time between 8 and 10 1/2.

However, ironing is over rated. It's useful to know how to iron a shirt before a wedding or interview, but it's not something they need to be spending time doing each week, so I wouldn't fret if it's not a skill they mastered, in the same way they need to know how to cook and how to budget, etc.

If DS - and DH want things ironed they should learn to do it. On an as needed (or wanted) basis. Does he cook? Make hot drinks? BBQ?

I frankly don't understand how people don't iron, all my work clothes require ironing otherwise they're all scrunched.

orda I don't buy things that scrunch. Cottons shirts are dried outside or inside on hangers. Nothing is left clean and dry in a basket to get wrinkled.
Must wrinkles disappear with body heat.

But I wear suit trousers and a shirt to work, how can you dry those so as to not need ironing?

What are they made of?

My skirts are def scrunch only.

I don't do any more ironing than absolutely necessary, but I do like wearing cotton clothes so they need it. DC were about 7 or 8 when they started ironing, only simple things and under my supervision to avoid burning anything - clothes/themselves. Everybody in our house is capable of ironing, and everyone does it as and when necessary.

A lad near here ended up in hospital after he thought he could iron a shirt front while actually wearing it.

I agree with you that it's a good age to start.
My DS is 11 and he's had to do one of his t-shirts because he managed to sit on one and crumple it all. Grrr

Lots of fabrics don't require ironing, and I do a minimum, but I do prefer cotton and even linen for Summer.
And most clothes do look better ironed.

I don't find cotton gets that wrinkled on washing, not of it's handled carefully after washing.
I certainly avoid silk, linen or viscose.

Lweji- so he wears a crumpled shirt- is that a big deal?

He should learn to iron. When I was at uni I lived with a 19 year old man-child who had to wear shirts to play the organ in church. He used to drive his laundry home to his mum (100 miles away).

"who had to wear shirts to play the organ in church."

No he didn't. Even if anyone noticed what would happen- would he be thrown out into the street?

My secondary age school children iron their own clothes. In practice that is daily shirts, trousers, jeans at the weekend. (Other clothes don't wrinkle much) . They started in y7 (age 11/12) and don't moan about it as they see and enjoy the direct benefit of their labour.

I don't get the big deal about ironing shirts. People aren't flat, so why should their clothes be? It is is silly - I don't bother and somehow the world hasn't collapsed around me.

They enjoy wearing ironed jeans at age 11? I would hope my kids would have different priorities.

I used to do the ironing every Saturday night for my mum, must have started at about 10/11.

I wish someone taught me. You be a good mum teaching them. Age 12 good age. Pointy...cotton hankies are the only way to wipe your nose if you have hayfever without giving yourself a horrible red nose and the fact i cant stop sneezing if i use a tissue due to the dust from tissues. Tissues are the work of the devil....