Do you make your teenagers iron their own clothes?

[Michyloulou]

I’ve probably delayed this far too long, but after doing a lot of ironing yesterday (and having more), I decided it was high time that my 2 eldest learned to iron. They are 17 & 14 years (14 next week).
As it turns out, I’d already done DS’s t-shirts (he wears a lot of football shirts which don’t need ironing). He’s hoping to go to Uni next year, so I want him to be able to iron before then. He hasn’t put up any resistance to my request although he says when he lives away from home he probably won’t iron that much. Fine, but as long as he learns in case he needs to iron a work uniform or something.
My DD on the other hand absolutely blew her top, completely over the top reaction saying it’s unfair, it’s my job as it’s my fault for having her!, none of her friends have to, why does she have to learn 4 years before her brother did. I admit this part isn’t ideal, but I had to iron all my clothes (including school uniform which consisted of a pleated kilt skirt) from the age of 11, as well as cooking spaghetti bolognese etc to help if my mum was finishing work late and my Dad was on late shift.
Eventually (after I told her not to expect any pocket money in September if she didn’t come down & try) she sulkily came down and ironed a few t-shirts and tea towels (must’ve taken all of 10 minutes, and I did say I wasn’t going to make her iron for hours!).
She’s now huffed her way back upstairs saying she’s never doing it again! I’ve told her in that case her pile will be put un-ironed on her bed! Does anyone else get this aggro from their teens?

[Guest]

Mine aren’t teenagers anymore, but yes I did from when they were about 13/14. I hate ironing so I wasn’t going to stand there doing theirs by the way mine were all boys !

[MOUSEMARSH]

God we wish! DS 18 throw it on the floor. DD 10 I'm not wearing it if it's not ironed. Basically what's mum for!

[Rac20]

I don’t iron anything other than uniforms and any work shirts/pants for DH. I tend to live in gym clothes unless working so wouldn’t ask the kids to iron.

However, my kids gets off lightly in terms of everything else. I had this conversation with DH the other day and said they should do more around the house. They do nothing. Eldest will wash the cars and clean them out and that is pretty much it. Slightly different when I was young as my mum left when I was ten so dad needed help to raise me and my two brothers and me and my elder brother did pretty much all of the housework and helped look after my much younger brother. I think in not wanting them to have the same upbringing I had, I’ve gone too far the other way.

[mickey house]

I do get where your daughter is coming from and it does seem a little unfair when her brother hasn't had to start ironing until he was several years older.

As a fully untrained psychologist I feel that you may have perhaps jumped in with both feet and your negative reaction created a negative mirror reaction. You not only gave your son preferential treatment by not expecting him to iron until he was several years older than your daughter, but you then threaten to take her pocket money away.

I think you should apologise to your daughter because parents aren't always right all of the time, and I'm sure she will appreciate your honesty and also learn that it's healthy to admit when you're at fault.

[louiseybobs]

I would wash and fold their clothes and let them iron as and when they need something.

We never iron our clothes and I think we look alright 😂

[Sandra & co]

I iron sometimes, if something is badly crushed and I do my sons Asda uniform. Dd wears everything not ironed and I do mostly. I used to be so fussy, ironed everything and if it didn’t look right re do it! Life’s too short and I was ironing from age twelve but not anymore

[Universal VR]

Mine are much older now but as a lone parent, my girls had to help with chores since they were around 11 years old. They are all perfectly capable but I’d say they’ve got lazier. I have two at home and they do their own laundry. My youngest wears things that don’t need ironing (although there are some things I tell need ironing before she goes out but she’s the one wearing it). My oldest will iron a lot of things herself but if they are in the laundry pile, I’ll iron them if I’m doing it anyway. I’m not going to take her things out and leave them. It clutters up the utility room! Plus she works very hard at her job in a care home so I try not to be unreasonable. OH is absolutely useless. He’s been mollycoddled by his mother and he can’t even perform basic tasks. I have a colleague who does the same to her two sons and I’m always telling her she’s not doing them any favours.

[Edie ray]

I very rarely iron anything, my daughter knows how to iron as she used to iron the bedding at a B&B she used to work at when she was 14 and they showed her how

[dizzymum23]

I told mine they can iron their own stuff from age 18, son perfect, daughter suddenly didn't need to iron anything