Help! Why do your children leave more of a mess?

@theponch (198)
United States
April 13, 2007 10:20pm CST
My children keep putting the clothes they just wore one time into the hamper. I have so much laundry. It gets to be quite expensive and a major headache. What started this discussion is that my child told me she had no clean jeans to wear and I know there were some in her drawer just two days ago. Then, while she was at school, I realize that she had folded pants in the the hamper. Was she just choosing not to where these particular pair? Was she being obstinant? Have you experienced times like these? What was the situation?
4 people like this
13 responses
@samrat16 (2442)
• India
14 Apr 07
I'm suffering from same problem. I think how can I teach a 2 1/2 child to clean up after his mess? I help take care of my 2 1/2 year old nephew and he plays with toys and after he is done he leaves them all over the place. And I have to clean up after him. So, how Can I teach my nephew to clean after his mess this is the basic problem.
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
14 Apr 07
My brother is like this as well, so what my mom did was that she bought a laundrybasket for him and put it in his room for his own clothes. It also became his own responsibility to wash them after she had shown him a few times. It took a few weeks but he actually started to understand and he did not just put clean clothes in there anymore *lol*
2 people like this
@theponch (198)
• United States
14 Apr 07
I'll try the theory of having the children was their own clothes. My mom didn't make it my responsibility util I was a little older, about 14. I just worry that one will do it and the other one will not. Just my luck! Good advice though, thank you.
1 person likes this
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
14 Apr 07
No I have never been through any thing like this with my 5 children so I would think that your daughter just wants you to keep washing the clothes and being obstinant and giving you a very hard time that is what it seems to me.
2 people like this
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
14 Apr 07
No I havent come across this as yet. But if it was me, Id tell them Im going on strike and not washing everyday, you are not there to be their personal slave especially if they are old enough to know better. Follow through and dont wash and then see if they do wear the same clothes again, they would not have a choice. But thats just me.
2 people like this
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
14 Apr 07
I'm almost 26, i remember doing something similar, except that i used to scrunch the clothes up to make it look like i'd worn them! I was embarrassed by some of the things i had to wear so instead of wearing them i'd act as though i had worn them, i'd put them in the wash basket & that would get me out of having to wear it again for however long it was until my Mum did the washing next! Maybe she doesn't like that particular item, which is why they go straight back in the wash basket - i was very self conscious & if i thought people would make fun of me for wearing something, i'd avoid wearing it at any cost. It might just be that age - maybe it's something you bought her that she no longer likes either that or she just didn't wanna put them back in the drawers :) Good luck!
2 people like this
@Swtrose (3385)
• Canada
14 Apr 07
Girls have a habit of trying on everything in their closet and instead of hanging it back up or putting it back in their draw they toss it in the laundry. I have a daughter who is almost 17 and she is famous for it. My solution would be to make her start doing or helping you with the laundry. Kids are smarter then you think. Last year my daughter attended a high school where they had to wear uniforms. She did not want to wear her uniform so she put it in the dryer with lipstick. It ended up wrecking the dryer and not only did we make her pay for fixing it she worked her tush off around the house for two months and guess what we got the lipstick out of her uniform and she still had to wear it. Your daughters look at the age where they can help with the laundry.
@gemini1960 (1161)
• Philippines
14 Apr 07
why wife did experienced something like that..especially teen-agers now a days who chooses what to wear just to feel good and empressed someone in the school..or maybe children want to change to another clothes thats is in for today..
• Philippines
14 Apr 07
My children were never that much of a headache. Teach them to wash their own clothes. I am sure that your children are old enough to be washing, at least, their own clothes. I taught my kids to wash hankies, as soon as, they were able to walk. Then their underwears were added on when they got older. When they were about ten years old, t-shirts were their responsibility, too. When they reached their teens, they know how to wash anything else. This way, washing clothes never became much of an issue at home. We must teach our children to do housechores and show them that we depend upon them to perform some at home from time to time.
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
15 Apr 07
My hubby does all the laundry in our house and I haven't heard him complain about all the kids clothes, but if I had to do laundry I know I'd be complaining! My 4 year old changes clothes twicw a day, always throws them in the hamper, and refuses to wear the same pajamas more than one night! My 11 year old is pretty good about laundry and putting dirty clothes where they need to go, when I was her age I used to throw mine anywhere!
@UAkshay (72)
14 Apr 07
Hey I'm not the one you should be consulting as I'm a bachelor upto now... Would love to answer this question in the future
1 person likes this
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
15 Apr 07
My son use to put the clothes he didn't like to wear back into the laundry. My daughter is lazy sometimes about putting her clothes away so she throws them back into the laundry. My other son just liked to throw his clothes onto the floor. I solved the problem by making the children help me with the laundry. I have them help me sort the laundry. Then they load the washer and I add the soap. Once the washer has finished they empty the washer into the dryer and start that. Then when the clothes are dried I have them help me fold them. By doing this I have shown them how much work it is to do laundry. It has helped because now they don't want to throw their clothing all over.
• United States
14 Apr 07
How old are your children? If they are in school I'd say they are old enough to be helping/doing their laundry. It doesn't even have to be all of it. I remember when I was growing up having to fold all of the laundry. There were 5 kids so that was a major task. Just having to do that part could be enough to make her/them understand it is not fair to you. I liked what someone else said about perhaps some of it she doesn't like or it doesn't fit right anymore. Maybe try combining some of this (talking about what she likes or not and cleaning out her drawers and making her help with the laundry). Perhaps it could be a consequence type of thing....let her experience the chore than the more clean laundry put in the hamper the more she has to help with the laundry. I think as a kid I would rather throw my jeans back in a drawer than spend MY time folding everyone elses clothes. :) My daughter is only 3 but she has already started the changing clothes 5 times a day thing (or at least she tries :)). I see what is ahead for me. Good Luck!
1 person likes this
• Philippines
15 Apr 07
children should be taught as early as possible that doing the household chores are not that easy. laundry for instance, they must be aware that doing the laundry is very tiring, they must know how to take care of their clothes properly. if they're wearing jeans, they can just use it for couple of days, and they should learn how to wash their own clothes by starting from their undies. that way can relate to parents' hardships.