At what age do you/did you start letting your children do the dishes?
We have a dishwasher. The kids can rinse their dishes and put them in the dishwasher (usually they just scrape and put in the sink), but we haven't actually washed dishes in the sink yet- it's not something they'd do often, so I don't see the point for us. They do put away the clean stuff they can reach out of the washer.
Since we are tall, we have extra-tall counters, sink and cabinets, and they can't really reach much yet. I am putting that off a while longer. Whenever we have stepstools in the kitchen, the 3 year old uses them to get into stuff she shouldn't, so I don't allow them except for cooking (which they do occasionally, but most days I prefer they use that time for homework and play)
They started helping empty the dishwasher about 4 y/o. I let them start helping to handwash at 6, w/ supervision.
My household was age 8. My three older ones alternate to do them. We have a dishwasher so what they wash by hand is minimal. My kids also are the only ones who do dishes, it's one of their chores. My youngest is 6 and the only thing he is responsible for when it comes to dishes is scraping off his plate.
Mom of four
I'm too picky about washing dishes to let the kids do it, but right now I let DS put his dishes in the sink. Maybe when hes about 7 or 8 I'll let him start helping with loading the dishwasher. Although I'm also picky about that. I don't even let SO do dishes cause his way bothers me lol
Quoting Eddy_G:4 year olds can wash dishes but not pans (too heavy)
At 6 they were doing the pans too
at 8 or 9 they can dry dishes without dropping them I think.
So Yes, I'm a mean mom and my kids now do all the dishes - I'm now teaching them to cook too.
This at our home as well.
And they begged to help. So I let them.
??QOTD?? 5/25/13
- Cindy18
on Aug. 25, 2012 at 7:30 AM