The Zorro post that just got pulled made me remember something. I have one child that is 5 y.o and another that is 7 y.o and it seems that they CANNOT hit the potty in the middle of the night. I have told them time and time again to sit and pee like their sisters do, but they just won't do it. So I told them that I am done cleaning up after them and next time they miss they will be cleaning it up. Since I cannot prove which one did it (they both do it!) is it unreasonable to make them both clean up the mess? I figured there are two sides of the potty and two boys. I am scared to think of what they do to their friends bathrooms. YIkes.
Does this seem unfair for me to make them clean up their own mess? If they are to young what would be a good age to enforce this. I am scared that if I just make the 7 y.o. do it then the 5 y.o. will keep missing to make his brother clean up the mess.
Being able to see isn't the problem. You could read a book in our bathroom at night it is so bright in there. We have 3 plug in's and three nightlights. LOL The kids can't have a dark corner in any room of the house at night. Our bedroom is pitch black so if they need anything they stand outside the door and ask for help. They wouldn't dare go into a dark room. Not sure where they get this from.
Thanks for your help. If they do try their best then I will be happy with that.
My kids started mopping at 4 so if 5 is too young I must be scaring my children.... In fact my 2 year old loves the swiffer...
I definitely do not think they are too young to clean up their own mess. I think they key is to be patient with them if/when they do not clean it to "our" standards. I patiently show the kids the best way to do it, and if they do their best and it doesn't get as clean as I would like, I go back over it without comment. (so long as I know they did their best, not just hurrying to get back to playing).
My son loves the Swiffer as well - hilarious! He is always begging me to mop. I know that won't last!
My 3yr old has to clean up after himself if he misses.
It sounds like a good idea to me. If they make a mess, they should clean it up. If they are too tired at night to keep from making a mess, then they should sit as you suggested! Otherwise they'll be cleaning it up in the morning!
Even though the bathroom is well-lit, maybe put one of those moon things on the switch so they can turn it on. I also wonder - are they afraid of being alone at night, and are just rushing? If they can't hold their pee or pee accurately at night, maybe it's time to go back to basics like reassurance that there are no monsters and/or no water before bed.
My kids clean up when they spill something and they are 2.5 and 3.5. I don't see why making them wipe up pee would be any different....except maybe you want to supervise them washing their hands after or get a pair of plastic gloves for them to wear. I want them to know I am their mom- not their maid. I am not all mommy dearest -- my kids do not scrub floors or anything...I just want them to be responsible for cleaning up after themselves. I wish my SIL would teach her boys to clean up after their pee messes (they are 5, 8 and 12 :( ugh!).
If the miss durring the day then yes, make them clean it up...
But it sounds like they are just tired at night so that is why they are missing.
you have 2 approches:
1. You can teach them to be responcible so that when they miss at night when they are married they will clean after themselves.
2.You can clean up after them as you would ur husband when they miss at night because that is what a loving wife/mom does.
With both options you might consider folding up a towle and put it in on the floor in front of the toilet...then it can be thrown in the washer when it gets wet. (This is what we do at our house because we have a lot of teenage boys in and out of the bathroom)
:)
Ow.......you can teach your kids during the day and practice. When they miss the potty you can grab a disinfectant wipe and show them how to clean the mess, just for them to learn. Later they will learn with a little mope that yourself make for this purpose. Probably in the middle of the night they are too sleepy even when they can see since your bathroom is so bright....they are tired, I would be also......Repeat and repeat nicely but firmly that after every visit to the bathroom they should leave the toilet clean. It is just part of growing up and they will need a lot of patience and repetition. The earlier you start, the earlier will learn.
Good luck
I would definitely have them clean up, but with your help and supervision. I would also strongly suggest cutting-back on liquids before bed so that they aren't getting up in the middle of the night as frequently. Could you put the bathroom light on a dimmer and preset it at night to a dim setting so that there is light? We've done this in the bathroom my husband and son use so that they can see at night, but it's not blinding.
Have clorox wipes and paper towels. Really, this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of life, but there are consequences for our actions and we all need to learn to clean-up after ourselves!
They're certainly not too young to clean up their mess. I instituted the sitting rule about a year and a half ago because they made a huge mess (their father too!). Even now, it's their job to clean the toilet because they still manage to make a mess of it (I'm not sure how but it's not as bad as it used to be, thankfully). My boys are 7 and 8 1/2. My youngest son was only 5 when we started this. Also, having them both clean the mess at the same time is fine since of course you can't prove which one did it and you would just wind up with a finger pointing war on your hands.
I have noted that my younger son is much more careful than his brother and father and gets quite irritated with them when they've really messed it up.
