What age to start children washing up?

Blackpool_Saver

My son is ok with cooking but cannot wash up, seems afraid of it, I have managed to get him to put his used pots under the water to soak though, many kids never learn these days because of having dishwashers..........

pinksleepybear

suki1964 wrote: »

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.......

At least they were in the sink! Somedays I'm happy if they made it into the kitchen and weren't just left by the computer.

It used to be that if I told the youngest to take his dirty dishes into the kitchen, he would leave them on the counter just inside the door, just barely inches into the kitchen and metres away from the sink. After I explained I'd rather he left them nearer the sink, I heard him telling off one of his mates...'no, not just inside the door, lazy, rinse it and put it in the sink'. This from a boy who persuades his mates to vacuum his bedroom (a la Tom Sawyer)!

ceebeeby

Aged 3 - 6 Plastic plates and cups, and can help with drying
Aged 6 - 10 Crockery and Cutlery, not too manky saucepans
Age 10+ Everything

xmaslolly76

My two are 7 and 11 and they know how to wash up we have a dishwasher now though so there daily chore is the emptying and filling of the dishwasher. eldest also knows to soak pans and pots that have been used for messy stuff she very often will do herself something in the microwave and put the dish to soak until it goes in the dishwasher. :-)

Pee

I was washing up in a Nursing Home "professionally" at 14, with sharp knives.

As to how you do the rota with the older two... could you talk to them about it and see what they think is reasonable?

Jakesmummy

my 3 year old begs me to let him wash up! i just let him do a few plastics bowls n things occasionaly, only occasionaly cos he makes such a mess ha! but at the age of 12 (if not younger) me and my sister were taking turns every day, one wash, one dry, x

zippychick

My Mum always had me help her. I used to help her gut the kitchen, do the christmas clean, skirting boards,cupboards, i used to put all the xmas decorations up around age 10 , i ironed, made cups of tea, hoovered - what ever needed done. My mum had me taught since I was no age. I also cut the hedge with the hedge strimmer when i was about 13 . the 12 year old should definitely be helping by now - the other two as well. You can't be cross if she washed "her" dishes and left the others, as she was doing what you instructed.

Curlywurli

I've got two little ones. I still have a gate on the living room so they can't go anywhere. If I accidentally leave it open I know where I will find my three year old- in the kitchen attempting to wash up and tidy the kitchen! (I must admit we don't know where she gets it from)

MrsE_2

Can you fit in a dishwasher?

If you can, get one & save lots of family agro.

I always thought a washing machine necessary, a dryer nice & a dishwasher a luxury.

If one had to go now it would be the dryer!

zippychick

MrsE wrote: »

Can you fit in a dishwasher?

If you can, get one & save lots of family agro.

I always thought a washing machine necessary, a dryer nice & a dishwasher a luxury.

If one had to go now it would be the dryer!

IS a dishwasher moneysaving? I vow never to own one! Waste of electricity IMO! Wouldnt it then be an argument of who empties and fills it etc? Not for me anyway