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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

15 year old in charge of the washing?

86 replies

PixiePlunge · 06/03/2017 23:33

Overheard a colleague today say that her 15 year old son takes over the clothes washing in their house and doesn't like anyone to do it.

Aibu to find that very strange?

OP posts:

ChocolateSherberts2017 · 07/03/2017 08:04

My ds has been solely in charge since the age of 4 & it's fabulous. He sorts the laundry into colour loads, selects the detergent and correct programme.

It's attitudes like yours that produces and encourages spoilt, entitled men who think that domestic work is beneath them. Read the countless threads on here about these spoilt men.

MrEBear · 07/03/2017 08:07

I don't understand washing being separated by people. But by using a dark and lights laundry basket my 6 year old has been filling and emptying the washing machine and dryer for as long as I can remember. Recently he's taken to putting the powder in and switching on (on any setting).

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2017 08:19

Oh blimey it's turning into a competition now.

Anyone's DS taking sole charge of washing before they could walk....

Astoria7974 · 07/03/2017 08:22

I was brought up in an abusive Indian household sparklingbrook - my guess is I'm the only one telling the entire truth.

Sparklingbrook · 07/03/2017 08:25

You never can tell Astoria.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 07/03/2017 08:27

My 16yo DS will frequently put a load on, and changes his own bedding etc regularly. He always asks if we have anything that needs washing when he's doing it, as I like a full load to be done. He irons as well.

nooka · 07/03/2017 08:36

My teens do their own laundry. They have lots of clothes and don't do it that often so the machine is plenty full. dh does his and mine weekly, again it's one full load (we don't have much light stuff so that takes a bit longer). he has liked doing the washing since he was a teenager, and ironed stuff too when he was younger. I'm not so keen so I do other things.

BarbaraofSeville · 07/03/2017 08:40

YABU. A 15 YO should be learning about household chores and doing his bit and if laundry is his job, that's fine.

If everyone gets to do the task they don't mind doing/hate the least, things are more likely to get done properly and with the least resentment.

Although we don't all get to pick and choose what we do and don't do if that's what you mean?

user1485196412 · 07/03/2017 08:42

That's great. Mine are only small but my 3 year old already empties the dishwasher and makes his bed. 15 is more than old enough to have their role in the house.

fairweathercyclist · 07/03/2017 08:45

My mum says she used to clean all the shoes in the house from when she was 7 because she didn't like the way her mum did it!

Some kids like household order.

My mum still does!

My ds is more the type who uses the floor as a floordrobe.

Crumbs1 · 07/03/2017 08:45

Sounds excellent. We didn't with first two and it was a mistake. Our son went to Sandhurst with only two weeks ironing practice. That was a mistake! We learned and others were supported to do their own laundry.

weeblueberry · 07/03/2017 08:50

Poor boy, got embarrassed about one wet dream and made out he didn't like anyone else to do the laundry, now he's found himself stuck doing it every week!

This he wants to wash his own underwear, sleepwear and bedding and thinks it's less suspicious if he just does all the laundry.

MirandaWest · 07/03/2017 08:55

I don't understand individual people doing their own washing either. If each person in this house did their own washing then either there would be lots of smaller washes, or they'd need to wait much longer to do their washing. Maybe other people have more clothes. Or do more washing.
I'm happy going round the washing baskets, gathering washing up and then washing by colour.
Maybe each person should take charge for a week. And I'll have to make sure DHs week isn't when he's working away

SimonSmithsAmazingDancingBear · 07/03/2017 08:57

My son has been doing his own washing since he was 14. He occasionally puts stuff in with mine, if neither of us have enough to make a full wash, but generally I do mine and my daughter's and he does his.

We do a communal white wash because none of us have enough white stuff to do seperate washes.

WizardOfToss · 07/03/2017 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gwenhwyfar · 07/03/2017 09:05

"Out of interest, why is laundry separated by people rather than colours / whites / sheets / delicates etc?

An underloaded washing machine is wasteful IMO."

You just wait until you have a full load so no more wasteful.
I was doing my own washing from about 11.

Kiroro · 07/03/2017 09:05

Out of interest, why is laundry separated by people rather than colours / whites / sheets / delicates etc?

An underloaded washing machine is wasteful IMO.

Why is there this idea that 1 person doesn't fill a WM? You just put a wash on when you have a full load.

I don't under load the WM - 1x dark 1x whites 1x sheets (very other week) 1x towels and bathmat and tea towels

Gwenhwyfar · 07/03/2017 09:08

" If each person in this house did their own washing then either there would be lots of smaller washes, or they'd need to wait much longer to do their washing."

I live alone. I do one wash a week most weeks. What's wrong with each person doing a wash a week? It's not too long to wait.
When I used a launderette it was once every two weeks, which I suppose did mean needing to have enough socks etc.

Dulcimena · 07/03/2017 09:08

Why do you think it very strange, OP?

CryingShame · 07/03/2017 09:17

I've always said I will have failed in my role as a parent if my DS can't wash, clean, tidy and cook by the time he leaves home. surely this is just part of that process - someone in the house needs to empty the bin, lay the table, put a wash on and there's no inherent reason why that should be a parent and not the teenager. Good for him.

Lunde · 07/03/2017 09:18

Not sure what you think is strange OP.

DD has been doing all of her own washing since she was 9.

RedAndYellowPeppers · 07/03/2017 09:18

It would be strange to most people seen the fundraising event organised by the school.
Please collect funds for xx charity in exchange of some work done at home or for family members. These include 'tidying YOUR (as in the child's room!) room, or emptying the dishwasher'

So yes it is unusual but I wouldn't call doing the clothes washing strange. I'm certainly pushing for my dcs to do it, at least some of the time.
I am more puzzled by the idea that said child is uneasy for other members of the family to do it.

OllyBJolly · 07/03/2017 09:19

I think if divvying up household chores amongst the family then laundry is one of the more pleasant tasks. (and if it was that or clean the toilet I'd fight hard to keep the laundry!)

Bonkerz · 07/03/2017 09:20

My 16 year old does his own washing. Not that unusual!

RedAndYellowPeppers · 07/03/2017 09:21

Re washing, it's done by colours in our house because otherwise everyone would need to do all their washing at the weekend and it just wouldn't happen (not enough time or space to put stuff to dry!)

Plus, each DC wouldn't have enough things to put in the whites so that needs to be together anyway!

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