Parents Unite! Stop doing Your Teens' Laundry!

I've talked to so many friends lately who are still doing their teenagers' laundry.  I'll be honest when I say that I don't get it.

Giving teens the chore of doing their own laundry is one of the best gifts a parent can give them.  For one thing, it's a chore that teens get direct reward from -- doing their own laundry ensures they will look clean and tidy -- something most teens strive for.

Another positive -- laundry is a chore a teen can do without too much hassle. It takes five minutes to sort through clothes and start the washer, and a half hour later, the washing is done.  Forty minutes or so after that, the drying is done.  But the teen still only spent about five minutes preparing it  for the washing machine and switching it over to the dryer and then maybe ten minutes folding it and putting it away.

But I've had so many friends say, "Well, if I don't do the laundry, things will get worn wrinkled or dirty." 

I say, "Who cares?"  You're not the one wearing the clothes wrinkled or dirty.  Either your teen doesn't care -- which is his or her choice, or your teen will learn it's not good to present oneself this way and start doing the laundry. :)

Other friends have said, "They won't fold it."

Again, why do you care? These are your teen's clothes, not yours. If they don't get folded and put away, you can put restrictions on the amount of money you're willing to spend on new clothes. That should do it, and if it doesn't, your teen can wear the same ratty t-shirts for a year.

I hear, "My teen doesn't have time."

Come on, your teens are home sometimes (Just check to see how often they're on their computers). It's not a time-consuming chore.  And I ask, do you really have time to do it yourself? And even if the answer is yes, wouldn't it be nicer to fill up that time doing something else?

Learning to do laundry is a skill your teens will always use.  They will go to college and unless you're planning on moving into a dorm with them, they are going to have to do it themselves.  And guess what? They will be busy then, too!

Anyone else give their teens laundry duty or think it's a terrible thing to do? I'd love to hear your teen chore stories!