Question:
what age child is considered “young” for the purpose of laundry on Chol hamoed? If a 14- year old does not have any clean shabbos shirts for the second set of days, may I wash for him? How about buying?
Answer:
The age brought in the poskim for a young child for this is, a child that is constantly getting dirty because he is not careful at all about his clothing. A 14 year old boy is surely older than that age. You may not wash for him, because this is part of the geziera not to do laundry during Chol Hamoed. You may buy new shirts for him because it is for yom tov, and tzorech hamoed.
Sources:
534-1, M:B 7.
