Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Stinker


I know I have shared this with many of my family and friends, but it is time to make it public. My smallest stinker REALLY IS a little stinker.

There is something wrong with child #3. In the past two weeks, she has pooped in the tub 4 times. And that is exactly the number of times I've bathed her in the last two weeks (I'm going to win the mother of the year award, I know).

Not only does this stinky kid like to poop in the tub, she has a problem with the toilet. You see, she really likes to eat things or suck on things that have been dipped in toilet water. I've caught her dipping her binkie in the toilet several times as well as an apple that her sister had "shared" with her. She also enjoys peed on toilet paper, in case you were wondering. And it's not just at our house. The other day she decided to use a cup to drink straight from the potty while I was teaching piano lessons at my students' house.

I'm at my wits end. I try and keep the door shut at our house, but it just won't stay shut. Why can't everyone in the house just stop using the bathroom? I've thought about using a toilet lock, but if we can't even shut the door, do you think the toilet is going to stay locked?

The only good thing about the whole potty-mouth debacle is the future blackmail for when she's a teenager. Just wait until she has a date come to pick her up. (Insert evil snicker.)

Suggestions would be appropriate and appreciated. . . .

5 comments:

Gene and Karla said...

Life is full of challenges and surprises! Enjoy the journey. And, just think, you will have something to laugh about. From a "sympathetic" and "understanding" Papa.

Natalie said...

No suggestions here. We had similar issues with our child #4. The good thing is, it doesn't last forever.

Mama D said...

I wish I had helpful suggestions. The only thing I can think of is to continue doing your best to keep the bathroom door closed and the toilet flushed, and repeat endlessly the reasons for why we don't do this.

Maybe it would help to have a cup or bowl of water on the table where she can dip her apple in water or get a drink whenever she wants. Make getting her drink or dipping *better* elsewhere than it is in the toilet.

The only other thing I can think of is to give her positive attention when she does these things elsewhere, and do your best to ignore the negative behavior. (Eeww! Toilet water! How can we ignore that?!) But still, do your best to reinforce the behavior you want and ignore the behavior you don't want.

Good luck!

She probably is a lot like Laura - she likes the Eeww! reaction she gets when she does this.

Kori said...

I thought Tanner was bad! He love toilet water too, we'll blame it on the Gammon genes. We have to just try and keep the bathroom door shut as much as possible. Pooping in the tub, yuck!

Anonymous said...

Be consoled....on the news the other day they said that toilet water wasn't as bad as once thought. Now the worst place is in the bottom of your reuseable grocery bags. Guess when she starts playing with them you can really start to be concerned:)