Don’t want your child heading to college with no idea how to perform simple chores? Take the time now to teach them the chores your teen should know so they are ready for school in the fall.
college students
Laundry
If your child is a senior in High School and you still do his or her laundry, stop now! College students can let a lot of chores slide, but they absolutely need to know how to properly clean their clothes! Take some time to show your teen how to run the washer and dryer. Also, explain to them the importance of separating colors, and reading the care instructions on their clothing tags. Encourage them to buy easy to care for clothes to make their lives a little easier at college.
Picking Up
The most important chore your college-bound student should know is how to pick up after themselves. Since most college students have roommates, picking up after yourself is key. Teach your child that cleaning up after themselves will show their roommates they respect them. Also, if they don’t clean up after themselves, who do they expect will do it at college? If you are putting dishes in the dishwasher for your kids and picking up their misplaced belongings, you aren’t doing them any favors. Have them pick up after themselves now and their college roommates will thank you later.
Simple Cooking
Photo by Le Creuset on Unsplash
Depending on where your student lives at college, they might not even need to know how to cook. If they live in a dorm and have a meal plan they’ll probably eat all their meals at the cafeteria. However, cooking is a skill that your college student should learn just because they are an adult. Teach them the basics including how to make a few simple meals like scrambled eggs and pasta. Then, if they live in an apartment for school, or if they go to a friend’s house to make a meal, they know their way around the kitchen.
Dishes
If your child lives in a dorm room and eats at the cafeteria, there will still be dishes to do at college. Kids will make their own snacks in their room microwave and use their fair share of cups and plates. Add handwashing dishes to their chore list so they can keep their dorm room tidy.
Bathrooms
Even if your teen’s dorm has a cleaning service, they’ll eventually need to know how to properly clean a bathroom. Give them this chore now while they are still in your house, so they don’t end up in their first apartment with no idea how to keep their bathroom clean and sanitary.
Vacuuming and Dusting
Again, most college dorms will be cleaned by a cleaning crew, so your college student might not even think about dusting and vacuuming. But, if your teen will move right into an apartment, these chores will need to be done regularly. In addition to having your teen dust and vacuum his or her room weekly, have them spend some time dusting and vacuuming the main areas of the house. Teach them about vacuum maintenance as well, like how to remove a clog, how to clean the beater bar, and how to change the vacuum bag if there is one.
Help your teen know how to do chores properly and take care of their living space now. Your college student (and their roommates) will thank you once school starts!
