How To Help Your Child Learn How To Iron, Part 3

From ‘ L’ plates to ‘P’ plates. This is the home stretch.

In Australia, where I live and work, a learner driver is issued with a square, plastic plate with a large ‘L’ on it. They place this on the back and front of their car where it’s visible to all oncoming and following traffic.

When following a car with ‘L’ plates, you become more alert, ready for the unexpected.

The minimum age for a learner driver is 17. They progress to provisional driver when they’re 18.

After passing their driving test, they’re issued with ‘P’ plates, which tells us this is a provisional driver.

A red ‘P’ plate means the driver has just passed their learner test and has basic driving skills. They’re restricted to maximum speeds of 85 kilometres/hour and must maintain zero alcohol levels.

They take another test in 12 months time to progress to a higher ‘P’ plate level.

A green ‘P’ plate means this is a more experienced provisional driver. They’re restricted to maximum speeds of 100 kph and must keep within a .02 alcohol level.

They take another test in 12 months. If they pass, they’re a fully fledged driver, aged about 20 years old. But still near the bottom of their learning curve.

This sounds like a child learning how to iron, doesn’t it!

On ‘L’ plates, your child is learning how to handle an iron and learning the art of smoothing fabric so it can be ironed without wrinkles. And also how to stand – or sit – it’s their choice – at the ironing board.

Before we go any further, please make sure your ironing board cover is secure on your board. If the elastic has gone, or it has holes in it, please, please, buy a new one and make sure it fits well enough so that it doesn’t move while your child is ironing. You may be experienced at juggling the cover while ironing, but your child isn’t.

The right ironing board combined with the right ironing board cover combined with the right iron will make a positive impression on your child’s attitude to ironing.

Let’s start with a cold iron. It’s safest.

Your child needs to become comfortable with the weight of the iron and how it travels across different types of fabric. The coarser the fabric, the harder it is to push the iron. The smoother the fabric, the more easily the iron will glide across the item.

Starting with a cold iron also stops them from getting burnt fingers while they’re learning to smooth the fabric as they go along.

Handkerchiefs, cloth napkins, pillow cases; anything that’s straight is a good beginner item.

Let’s take a handkerchief. Practice with a cold iron first.

Step 1. Start with the iron sitting on its heel. Right now, the iron is turned off.

Step 2. Lay the handkerchief on the board, wrong side facing up.

Step 3. Teach your child to smooth the fabric, using both hands.

Step 4. Starting at the top of the handkerchief, palms flat, hands in the centre of the handkerchief, have them run their hands across the fabric to the outer edge to smooth it out.

Step 5. Move their hands down to about the centre of the handkerchief and repeat the smoothing out process.

Step 6. Move their hands down to the bottom of the handkerchief and again, repeat the smoothing out process.

Step 7. Slowly glide the iron across the flat handkerchief until it’s pressed, and hopefully, wrinkle free. Don’t be pedantic about this step. We just want them to get the feel of the iron and how it travels across fabric.

The iron should always be positioned so it’s moving away from them as they iron. Also, teach your child to rest the iron on its heel when they’re not using it.

Step 8. Fold one side across to the other, so it’s now in half, smooth it out with their palms and press a fold in place, moving the iron away from them rather than towards them. Rest the iron on its heel.

Step 9. Fold one side across to the other so it’s now in quarters, smooth it out and press a fold in place. Rest the iron on its heel.

Step 10. Fold one side across to the other, folding from left to right, smooth it out and press a fold in place. Rest the iron on its heel.

Step 11. Fold the handkerchief from top to bottom, smooth it out and press a fold in place. Rest the iron on its heel.

Step 12. Plenty of praise for a job well (?) done.

Step 13. Heat the iron up to low heat and let them iron it again, exactly as above.

Step 14. Lots of ooh’s and aah’s over the pressed handkerchief!

You and I do this with lightning speed, not even thinking about the steps, but it helps to break it down into small units so they understand the process. They can then apply this to other things.

There’s a few pithy sayings about learning that are very true.

1. “Take it by the inch and it’s a cinch. Take it by the yard, and it’s hard.”
2. “The smaller the bite, the easier to chew.”
3. “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
4. “Practice makes perfect”.

That’s enough. I’ll stop!

Learning how to iron is all about the right attitude, the right tools, and mastering a few, not very hard, skills.

‘L’ plates is about getting comfortable with the art of smoothing fabric and safely using the iron.

Mastering the art of smoothing the fabric is crucial to ironing wrinkle free.

Your child needs to understand that when they glide the iron, it should be positioned to move away from them as much as possible, rather than pointing towards them. This stops accidental burning and if the iron falls, it will fall away from them, not on them.

How they learn is a combined effort between you and them. And ironing can be something they enjoy doing and also take pride in their workmanship. Much like carpentry and sewing.

Progressing to ‘P’ plates is a matter of gaining more experience. From handkerchiefs to shirts isn’t instantaneous. The art of moving an item around the board is also a learning experience. As is learning to iron between buttons, ironing collars without creases and pressing creases into pants.

‘P’ Plates also means less supervision. They’re ironing more on their own. So make sure their environment suits them. Do they like to watch TV? Iron in their own room? Listen to language CD’s so they can learn Slovakian for their exotic student exchange program’ at school? Love loud music? Have sing-a-longs? Opera? Heavy classical? Remember, this is partly fun time, too. So encourage them to pick their spot and their means of entertainment.

I know men and women who admit to loving ironing. But it’s a secret club because it’s a subject you don’t readily admit to. The question, “It’s not fashionable, but I love …..ironing”, doesn’t have the same ring as, “I love white water rafting in the most dangerous of conditions”.

There’s nothing more appealing than a well pressed man and woman, young or old. It ranks high in the personal attraction stakes. Cadbury agrees.

From Cadbury’s Blog. “I actually like to have ironed clothes. Not so much because I care about whether they are ironed or not, but because the vast majority of women that I have any interest in prefer a neatly pressed man”.

Have a look at the new Oliso Iron with the auto-lift system. It means no more burning if you accidentally leave the iron face down. Time Magazine named it one of the best inventions of 2006. http://www.oliso.com/iron/index.php

This is the last in the series of How To Help Your Child Learn How to Iron.

I hope it’s helped you and the young members of your family.


Take care,

CAROL

Carol Jones
Director
Interface Pty Ltd
Ilford NSW 2850 Australia
Designers of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover
Our simple design solutions change your attitude and make every product a joy to use

The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover, Roadworks Apron, Log Lugger, Travel Bug Shoe Bag, Mr Chin’s Laundry Bag and Sweet Shoo are all simple solutions for difficult problems. And every one is a joy to use.

We’ve developed markets for these 6 products without national or international retail distribution. To see what we’ve achieved, click on our website at www.interfaceaustralia.com.

Read the story of how our business began on The Ironing Board Cover Lady. No sales hype. Just a down home story about how we started our business on the dining room table of our rural property, driving on ‘L’ Plates, without an instructor.



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