What age to start children washing up?

pinksleepybear

At what age did you start your kids washing up (not sharp knives)?

OH and I got home from 8 hours at work yesterday to find a pile of washing up generated by our kids on school holidays. Kids are 21, 19 and nearly 12. Obviously the older two are quite capable of doing the washing up, but there's an added complication in that they live in two houses as parents are divorced. If I set up a rota, there's a risk they'll stop coming round and just stay at their mum's house on their day to clean up.

I think it might be simpler to tell them to each wash what they've used. Youngest typically uses cereal bowls, mugs, saucepans, forks and spoons, so nothing sharp involved. Is it realistic to start him washing up now?

kazwookie

Start them washing up at about 3 years old, not sharpe items.....

Yours at 21, 19, 12 sounds lazy!!!!

I had to wash up from about age 6 or so, stood on a box at the sink, my mother was ill and couldn't...........

ClareEmily

Yes 12 is plenty old enough, I was doing ironing for my mum at that age.

horsechestnut

It is perfectly reasonable for a child to do washing up once he/she reaches Secondary School. In the days when Home Economics was taught in school, they had to do dishes from first year onwards.

stef240377

I think this is down to how much you trust your child. My three started doing simple washing up from the age around 7 then as they got older and more independent more 'dangerous' objects were added to the list. They are now aged 14, 13 and 12 and are expected to wash, dry and put away after our main family meal. However my daughters best friend of same age is not even allowed to make a hot drink and is very mollycoddled by her mum.

My 12yo son though does try it on by making a pigs ear of the washing up so as to get out of it but is made to rewash it all over again to learn the hard way.

angie_baby

I have my 7 year old washing up - of course not sharp items. And he has to put it away once or twice a week!

If he can use a saucepan surley washing up would be ok

Essex_Maid

They are gonna moan, complain, bicker. You gotta be tough. You are a family - not their slaves. Think of it as giving them life skills - if you pamper them all the time, how will they survive when on their own. They need to learn to take responsibility and why on earth should they not wash up their own plates etc. Certainly old enough for these simple chores.

ManOnTheMoon

I don't think it really matters if they live in two houses. By 21 and 19, they should realise they have to do things they may not want to do.

The 12 year old is plenty old enough. All of mine started washing up at 8 and were learning other small things before then.

pinksleepybear

Gosh, thanks for the quick replies everyone.

You're right - they are lazy and over-indulged. The oldest two are both at Uni and clean up after themselves there. Their mum is equally cheesed-off with the mess they make at her house (and she has a dishwasher), so a collabrative campaign should stop them avoiding work by hiding out at the other house.

Last night really was the limit though, after OH had done most of the washing up created while we were at work, middle stepdaughter came round to make cookies. I had already warned her she would need to clean up after herself, so she did exactly that - leaving a mug and 3 spoons in the washing up bowl, cos she hadn't been the one to get them dirty :mad:!

debtfreein4years

at least she washed up what she used. she is trying it on so dont let her get to you.

suki1964

At 12 I was running the home, managing the housekeeping and going to school !!!

And Im not that bleedin old either before someone starts lol

Actually I can remember my little sister having to stand on a step to reach the sink to do the dishes - 5/6 perhaps?

At that age her jobs would have been emptying the waste bins and turn about washing up, mine and my elder sister (8 and 12) would be doing hoovering, beds, washing, ironing, cooking and dusting etc - oh and most of the shopping

My mum would come in from work, expect the house to be spotless, the potatoes peeled, the table laid and a cup of tea placed in her hand

Op - be warned. I left my OH after coming home from a hard day and finding his daughter had left the sink full of dishes.......