A: Does your daughter have chores at home that she needs to complete in order for her to receive an allowance? If so, it does not seem like doing laundry is one of them. It does seem that she is taking more pride in the things she buys with her allowance and is thus learning the value of money. Take pride in this. To settle the case of the ruined clothing, ask your daughter to sit down and discuss the issue with you. Let her explain why she thinks you should be responsible for paying for the replacement clothing. Does your daughter think you ruined her clothing on purpose? Perhaps she thinks you need to be more careful. Doing laundry is one of the most unpopular tasks in some households. Maybe it is time to teach her how to do laundry and ask her to help with this chore. This will give her a better understanding of what is involved. If her clothing was indeed ruined, apologize and explain that it was a mistake. Discuss how you can make some form of restitution to replace the ruined clothing.

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