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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

What age to do their own ironing?

28 replies

NotActuallyAMum · 14/11/2006 15:37

My dsd will be 14 in February and I think by then she ought to be doing her own ironing. DP disagrees and thinks I should carry on doing it because "there's loads of it and it'd take her ages whereas you're used to it and you can do it really fast. And she is only 13"

I was doing my own from age 12 and I really don't think she's too young, or that it's expecting too much of her. But I'm probably just a horrible wicked stepmum

What do you think?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 14/11/2006 15:39

OMG, I was eight when my gran showed me how to iron my own clothes.

lorina · 14/11/2006 15:40

My dd is 15 and I will carry on doing her ironing until she leaves home.

I was about 16 when I started doing my own I think

JoolsToo · 14/11/2006 15:41

14 is perfectly ok to do own ironing. I can't remember when I started (too long ago ) but I know I was quite young when I asked to iron easy things cos I was fascinated watching the creases come out - how sad am I?

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 14/11/2006 15:41

I think 13 is fine. I got my ds's to do their school shirts.......I hate ironing shirts and if you can do a shirt well you can iron anything.

Original poster
NotActuallyAMum · 14/11/2006 15:48

Hmm, so out of 4 people only 1 disagrees...

lorina do you mean that literally - what if she doesn't leave home till she's, say 25?

OP posts:
geekgrrl · 14/11/2006 15:51

haha, my mum evidently thinks 30 is too young (she always insists on doing all the ironing when she visits)

I think 14 is fine but tbh I know I'll end up doing everyone's ironing until they leave home.

madmarchhare · 14/11/2006 15:54

I used to do the all the ironing at 13 in return for the family allowance.

Carmenere · 14/11/2006 16:00

IMO a 12 yr old is perfectly capable of ironing safely. And NAAM your dp is taking the piss, if he doesn't want her to do it, he should.

winnie · 14/11/2006 16:02

NotActuallyAMum, I think she is old enough to do ironing. Maybe you could suggest a compromise. DSD does certain things and dh does the rest or something

biglips · 14/11/2006 16:03

i was 14 when i started ironing (plus all the other housework too at weekends) so i could get my pocket money!

did the dishes at 8

ratclare · 14/11/2006 16:18

this is difficult because at 12 i was doing everyones ironing but now i am 'ironing possessive' and possibly need therapy !

Original poster
NotActuallyAMum · 14/11/2006 16:26

Think that's settled then

I had to iron for my pocket money too and like madmarchhare, at 14 I did all of it - and there were 7 of us! Not complaining - that was "my" job, we all had something to do and that was mine

carmenere that did cross my mind too...although I shouldn't really grumble about DP. Ironing is the one and only thing he doesn't do, he'll do anything else and without me asking too so I don't want to push him to do it, I really think she should do it herself, but I need - and expect - his backing. Can see where you're coming from though in that if he thinks his dd shouldn't do it he can do it himself

atm she doesn't do anything for her phone credit/disco money/whatever else she gets. She has a "job list" but never does any of it. I thought this would be a good way of getting her to pull her weight, if she doesn't do "her job" she has no clothes to wear

winnie

OP posts:
madmarchhare · 14/11/2006 16:26

Ah, it had the reverse effect on me. DH does all ironing now.

mumeeee · 14/11/2006 17:22

I do my 16 year olds ironing if I'm doing a load myself, but if she particulary wants something for that night or the next day then she does it herself.
She earns extra pocket money by doing the rest of the families ironing.
My 14 year old has dyspraxia and not very co-ordinated so I haven't started her own ironing yet. DD1 who is now at uni( and living away from home) did her own ironing from about 14.

bride2be · 14/11/2006 20:17

I HAVE 3 DAUGHTERS A 14YR OLD STEP DAUGHTER, A 13YR OLD DAUGHTER AND A 12YR OLD DAUGHTER AND THEY HAVE ALLDONE THERE OWN IRRONING FROM THE AGE OF 11 I WILL IRON SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND UNDERWEAR BUT EVERYTHING ELSE THEY IRON THEMSELVES UNLESS I DECIDE TO IRON IT BUT I WANT THEM TO LEARN THAT THERE IS THINGS THEY HAVE TO DO FOR THEMSELVES.

themoon66 · 15/11/2006 09:38

I learned to iron my dad's shirts at about age 8 I think. I remember burning myself a couple of times too... but not seriously... just enough to teach me to be more careful!

fortyplus · 16/11/2006 01:34

Mine ironed their Cub scarf at 8 as part of a badge they were working towards. Now they think it's a great treat to be allowed to do some ironing.
I'd start gradually - maybe you keep ironing school uniform but ask her to iron everything else.
She won't want her friends to see her all creased up!

threebob · 16/11/2006 02:04

I was ironing my dad's work shirts at 14. She can always wear her clothes creased if she's not happy to do it.

brimfull · 16/11/2006 08:20

my dd is 14 and does her own ironing

unknownrebelbang · 16/11/2006 08:55

DS1 started ironing his own school shirts when he was 11, and he asked to be taught how to do it. .

He does most of his own shirts, and often irons their karate gis too.

figroll · 16/11/2006 09:28

Better get my 2 to start then! Neither of them doing any ironing and only grumble if they haven't got clean knickers, or shirts or whatever. I think I am becoming a bit of a doormat.

Pickles45 · 16/11/2006 12:56

There are five of us in my household and up until 6 weeks ago muggins here did all the ironing. The worst being shirts - at least 15 per week. So I requested that they all did their own shirts. (DD is only 9 & wears polo shirts so until she wears shirts i'm not too bothered about that. They have been really good about it.

My only problem is that the boys don't do it quite as well as I would. However, I keep telling myself that I have to let them do it and not to get involved - they should get better at it. Also, not too worried as they put jumpers on at the moment to hide the creases.

RedTartanLass · 16/11/2006 13:49

My ds1 was 12 when he started doing his own washing and ironing.

mooshy · 19/11/2006 16:02

My daughters are 14 and 11 and do some ironing now.I really wanted them to do stuff for themselves because my mother insisted on paying for a nanny, cleaner and ironing lady until i was 18 !! -subsequently when i left home i didn`t cope at all.In fact looking back i was quite ill really !
Needless to say she is horrified when she sees my poor poor children doing jobs at home

Freckle · 19/11/2006 16:18

DS1 (now 12) started doing some of his own ironing when he started secondary school at 11. DS2 will start then too. I do most of their ironing, but they start off with a couple of school shirts, just to get the hang of how to do them, and then move on to other things too. If they can do slightly more complicated stuff like shirts, the rest should be a doddle.

This means that, when they yell that the one think they want to wear isn't ironed, they can do it themselves.

Of course, MIL is horrified that I am getting them to do anything at all and is convinced that I am only do it "to get an even greater life of luxury than you have at the moment". Her DS (my dh) never had to do anything until he left home, which is presumably why he couldn't cook and his wardrobe left a lot to be desired.