Teenagers !!!

hilstep2000

I agree with most of the above. My two are now 16 and 20. I don't make beds or clean up, just shut the door on it. I occassionaly go in to look for plates/glasses/mugs etc. Clothes not in the washing bin don't get washed.
My DD has just moved in with her boyfriend and another couple. You should see the state of their fllat! My mum was horrified when I took her there, but I said "They've got to live in it, not us!" Let em alone, they'l grow out of it, or move out of your house in the end anyway! LOL!

lessonlearned

I think most teenagers seem to prefer their bedrooms being a tip, my two sons were no exception. Funny now they are at uni and have their own places they are both quite houseproud.

Now that they are away most of the time their rooms are immaculate. Guess what - I would give anything to have them back home - I would even welcome their messy rooms ...

Enjoy your kids - mess and all - all to soon they will fly the nest and you will have your nice tidy rooms.

Savvy_Sue

Melissa_Hewett wrote: »

You give an 8yr old a hot iron?

Whyever not, when I was a Brownie (7-10) one of the first things I learned to do was iron my scarf, and my brothers did their cub scarves, and before he was 10 little brother cooked a roast dinner for one of his badges!

Of course you have to teach them and supervise them in how to use an iron, can't leave them with a huge pile and go out for the evening ...

Mine have never really learned to iron because I gave up on it.

ailuro2

I had to do my own ironing from an early age. And my own washing,go for the family shopping with my sister,clean house form top to bottom. Yes, it did do me harm, I should have been playing or studying instead of doing what my lazy mother and father should have been doing!.:mad:

I hate doing housework now,take no pleasure from it at all,I think kids should be in their teens before they should be expected to do a significantly larger share of the housework.By all means teach them how to do it if you feel they would enjoy it once in a while, but I'd never make ironing one of my dd's chores at 8 yo. She enjoys cleaning in small doses, washing the odd pots and pans and is dying to have a crack at cleaning the windows sometime- the difference is she wants to do these things. Hopefully by teaching her in small amounts she will learn to take pleasure from a job well done.

At the moment all DD has to do is set the table for dinner and sometimes take down the recyling bin.She comes shopping with me and helps with the list and finding things.
She also has to tidy her room before it is hoovered, but we do the cleaning of it.

lemontart

My teen (18) is better at housework than me - not that is difficult only thing is she will only do it every few months when her boyfriend comes for a visit ( they have along distance thing so only see eacheother every 3/4 months)

millie2_2

Hi.

When my kids were around 14 and 16 I realised I'd missed boat when it came to them doing much around the house. Every time I started a new "routine" it seemed to lead to rows and, if the thing wasn't done, I'd end up inconvenienced.

So I decided that the chore had to be something that would inconvenience them if left undone. The whole "plan" took a couple of seconds to explain and I've never looked back: I permanently retired from doing their laundry. full stop. It worked a treat - I never had to nag and I no longer had to go into their rooms. (I did still help out with ironing school shirts but nothing else)

Not long after I also retired from doing anything (at all!!) in the morning before school. If it wasn't sorted the night before then they were on their own.

Now they're 18 and 20, (20 year old lives away), still have messy rooms but there are positive signs that they are responsible young adults who can sort whites from darks and do a little forward planning.

Millie

Tam_Lin

As a horribly untidy teen, there was nothing my parents could do to change me. My room was kneedeep (literally) in clean and dirty clothes all mixed up, books, records out of their sleeves, dirty cups and plates in which interesting new civilisations were breeding. The only thing that made me change was running out of things to wear, and moving out and getting my own place. I somehow thought the housework fairy would automatically move with me, but she didn't.

moj1966

I have 2 teenagers and I never go in there rooms except to check they are clean on a friday nite or saturday morning
the policy we have if your room is not clean on a friday after school you don't go out until it is.
we get the usual moans but we just stick to it mainly my two will clean there rooms on a thursday nite.
Also if they dont help around the house i dont go shopping for food they soon get helping when there is no food in the cupboard.