Skip to Content

How To Get Kids To Help Sort Laundry

Getting children involved in household chores is important to teach them responsibility and the importance of maintaining order within their own lives. Chores such as washing, drying and folding laundry are perhaps on of the most important things parents can get your children involved in.  When kids help to sort laundry it can help the whole process go smoother! Here are some ways to get him or her involved in sorting also:

sorting laundry

Where Stuff Goes

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our disclosure.

From a very early age it is important to teach children where to put their dirty laundry. As soon as a child can walk and understand basic demands teach them where the dirty laundry goes. Make sure to provide baskets and hampers that the kids can reach or access easily so that they don’t get too frustrated when trying to contribute.

Make It Fun

To keep kids interested, make sorting laundry into a game. Create a game with it. For example, have each child pick up dirty clothes on their bedroom floor and see who can complete this task the quickest. A little bit of competition here will be healthy!

You can also create a sticker chart, similar to ones used for getting homework done or for potty training, to create a reward system for the kids if and when they pick up their laundry.

get kids to help sort laundry

 

Teaching the Basics

Once you have established where soiled laundry goes, the next step will be to teach children how to sort it. This will likely be different for each family; some people don’t mind washing whites with colors or towels with dress clothes. Other things to consider is if you wash with hot or cold water, too.

If you plan to have kids sort laundry by color, consider purchasing a white hamper or laundry basket for white clothing to go into. Another important rule of thumb to teach kiddos, is to keep towels and washcloths separate from regular clothing. Get them into the habit of returning towels after showers or bath to the bathroom hamper for cleaning.

how to get kids to help sort laundry

The Building Blocks

Once your child has the basics of sorting laundry down, it can’t hurt to go ahead and let them help with the laundry itself. For example, let them pour the detergent into the wash or toss the pod in. Allow them to pull the dry clothes out of the dryer and drag the hamper up to the bedrooms.

Another part of sorting laundry is after it is washed and dried. Have him or her pick out their own clothing from the pile on the couch. Show them the fundamentals of folding their own articles of clothing. Give them a little leeway with this. Let them figure out an organizational system that works for them.

If they want to put their jeans in the dresser instead of hanging them up in the closet, let them do so. Not over analyzing or inserting too much of an opinion here will let them feel more independent. It will also create a routine that they will be more apt to want to do as they grow into teenagers.

how to get kids to help sort laundry

 

Share and join us on social media!