Children and Toilets....

[emotionallybankrupt]

I learned today that I needed to teach easy child how to use the cut-off valve at the base of the toilet. Very important skill....

I was very lucky. I got there JUST in time. Somehow I knew what was wrong when I heard, "MOM! HEEEELLLLP! IN THE BATHROOM! HURRY!!! MOM, COME QUICK!!!"

Ugh! I haven't moved that fast in a while....

 

[witzend]

LOL! Did you then teach easy child about the plunger?

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

Yep. I told her not to even think about trying to use it. My job.

As for her...we've had a practice and will have some more in the next days/weeks. Gotta react FAST with the water rising! She doesn't do anything fast. Nothing. Why can't kids hurry?

Of course, the next issue to deal with is WHY are we having this problem??? I have been noticing the paper going down fast, but I haven't been policing her potty trips and TP use to see exactly what is going on.... We'll have a little chat about that tomorrow. I really don't want to start rationing TP....

"Turn to the right...it's right to turn to the right...." I'll be doing well if I can get her to remember and DO it!

 

[gcvmom]

Oh yes! We've had many a TP overload in a few of our toilets, thankyouverymuch. We have low-flow units so thankfully they don't completely overflow like the older ones did. But still. I once found what looked like 1/2 a roll of TP in the bowl because difficult child 1 had a nosebleed, and rather than toss it in the trash can that was INCHES from the toilet... but then, that's life with a difficult child, isn't it?

 

[susiestar]

UGH. I can empathize. My kids have to ask before they can use my toilet and I don't always say yes. They LOVE to pack it full of TP for some reason. Then they don't flush. So I end up going in and finding an unflushed toilet halfway full of soggy toilet paper. Last time I called the offender in and handed over a trash bag and a pair of gloves. The look of absolute HORROR was vastly entertaining to me! So was the whole performance of face wrinkling, pretend gagging (it was CLEARLY pretend as that much gagging and heaving would have produced something if it was even close to real. LOL.), and trying to use only the very tips of the glove covered fingernails to touch the paper. Then the outrage and fury when a little of the water dripped and almost touched a foot because of course holding the bag next to the toilet with one hand while moving the paper with the other is just toooooooooo difficult for anyone to figure out, much less to actually DO!

I was accused of creating concentration camp level torture when I INSISTED that the outside of the toilet and the floor where water dripped had to be washed with soap and bleach solution AND rinsed. You would have thought I wanted the child to use his mouth to move the tp out of the toilet like bobbing for apples and then wanted him to lick the floor clean from the carrying on.

I didn't make it much better when I had to leave the room and laugh into a pillow at the fuss. It really was TOOOOOO FUNNNNYYY!! It was just so over the top that it hit my funny bone.

I am a mean, mean, mean mom. Or so I was told.

 

[emotionallybankrupt]

Susie, that's a hilarious image!

I had a similar scene here a couple years ago when I insisted that difficult child clean out the bathtub drain that was clogged with HER hair. No fault on her part. Just one of those jobs that has to be done sometimes, especially when a person has long, thick hair that's bound to make for a slow drain over time. The way our drains are made, there's no way to use a strainer for prevention, and there's no way to clean it out except to dismantle the thing with a screwdriver and clean out the goo. I've done it many times.

I didn't make her do it as punishment for anything, but my point was that she is NOT too good to do a messy job. SOMEBODY has to do it! She did it, but like in your case, I think difficult child considered it kin to some type of abuse and made the experience complete with all the theatrics one would expect. Like you, I was in the other room laughing my #$% off!