The Sneaky Trick I Use to Get My Kids to Do the Laundry

My kids are ages 4 and 6. They like doing some chores (mopping in particular), but dislike the more mundane, everyday tasks like laundry. As with all young kids, they seem to go through multiple outfits every day, so we usually have bags full of clean clothes waiting to be sorted and put away. I am always eager to teach my kids life skills like this because I hope they will be able to do their own laundry in the near future. To achieve this lofty goal, I try to get them involved as much as possible, but sorting laundry is just not that exciting. That all changed when I discovered a clever way to make laundry a little more interesting. 

It all started when my son complained that his clothes looked crumpled when he tried to fold them. They didn’t look as neat as they did in the store where we bought them. I admit that I am not that careful about folding kids' clothes, but I could now see that folding might work to my advantage.

I was aware of those plastic folding devices used in stores, but I didn’t want to buy more plastic things for my home, so we decided to make our own. There are many different tutorials online, and we used this helpful video. All you need to make this clever tool is one large cardboard box, a craft knife and some duct tape. Involving the kids in the creation of the device was the first crucial step to getting them excited about laundry. They were delighted with their new project and proudly scribbled their names on it just in case anybody dared to steal it! 

We then practiced using our fancy new device, and before we knew it, we had folded an entire bag full of laundry. The next day, they were eager to do laundry again, and to my surprise, they continued to enjoy folding their clothes for a whole month. I know they will grow bored of it soon, but I've enjoyed having two willing kids helping me sort, fold and put away the laundry for most of the summer break. I call that a win.

Now,  I just need to figure out a way to get them excited about all of the other mindless chores that I need to get done.