why it is that my children, all of whom have excellent hand eye coordination and full use of both hands, cannot seem to master the simple task of replacing an empty toilet paper roll with a new one? They know how to flush(sometimes) , how to wipe (thank goodness), and how to wash (I'm hoping), but it's like there's some religious aversion to actually removing the empty cardboard tube from the spring-loaded holder and replacing it with the new roll of paper. Just this morning I went into the kids' bathroom and discovered an empty cardboard roll still on the dispenser, and a mostly used roll of toilet paper sitting on its end on the edge of the sink counter, where water splashed from the recent washing of hands had seeped up into the remaining paper on the roll, thus ruining it for its intended use.
This kind of waste annoys me to no end.
Any ideas on how to teach my bright, talented, but incredibly lazy children how to perform this simple task without the currently endless nagging from me that is currently required would be much appreciated.
I will thank you. My children will thank you. My toilet paper will thank you.
YAY, You're back! I can't wait to hear about your trip to Denver. (Is it true that city is a mile high?)
ReplyDeleteI bet it's your dad's fault, about the toilet paper, since he was babysitting. He's the one who didn't change it, I bet.
I have no advice. Except be MEAN! Nothing else works for me. And being MEAN only works at the time.
I'm still working on getting them to brush their teeth regularly.
My first thought was to just take away their toilet paper for a few days, but I'm fairly certain that this will cause more problems than it will solve.
ReplyDeleteSo I got nothin'.
As much as I'd like to see the Thank You card sent by the toilet paper... or maybe not after all - We're still working on this one ourselves. It's by FAR the cleaning task in the bathroom but it never seems to get done...
ReplyDeleteOh, actually I DO have a suggestion - it worked for us for about 2 months... We assigned one child as the permanent TP monitor and taught her how to replace the roll (rolling off the top even), she was really excited about having such an important job - until she realized that nobody else shared her enthusiasm :)
I got nothing either. Glad you are back also.
ReplyDeleteYea...I agree with Crash...and Pat...It's just not possible!
ReplyDeleteIt's daunting to know that even when they get OLDER they still don't do it? I was hoping it would change!
There was still some left on it the last time I used it!!!
ReplyDeleteRemove the dispencer, take an old cataloge, divide each page into four pieces, place them on a nail you drove into the side of the wall.
They will love to have the roll back and be obiedient for ever after. Hee Hee
Ooh, I like oldboatguy's suggestion, though I'm not sure that would be good for indoor plumbing. Maybe just buy the scratchiest, cheapest industrial tp for them until they decide to comply with the two-ply rules. :D
ReplyDeleteOR you could charge them each a service fee for damaged tp and replacement labor. And use plumber's rates :D
ReplyDeleteWhatever it is your kids have that prevents them from replacing the roll . . . I've got it, too. So, no help here.
ReplyDeleteI would hoard all the TP and make them beg for TP, when they need it. I would then not allow them out of the bathroom until the job was done.
ReplyDeleteWe bought a holder that you just slid the tp on, so even a lazy kid will do it. Yeah
Welcome back!!
I say behavior modification techniques are needed here. Give a big enough reward for compliance and they will gladly do it. Hopefully it will then become a new habit.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to admit that I never was that successful when their dad was young. Maybe it is an inherited trait!!
Kris has a good point on account of I have one of those handy devices named VOID OF LITTLE SPRINGY BARS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE FOR SMALL HANDS TO SQUISH AND REPLACE WITHOUT TRYING FIVE TIMES. And I never ever leave the roll on the counter. But that might also be because I am the most cultivated of your children. With the messiest room...
ReplyDeleteOr you could just give up, because really, they got use out of most of that roll before it got ruined. Obviously it's easier for them to just be careful about the splashing than to actually deal with that pain in the butt springy bar. But idk. I just know it really is a heck of a lot easier to just put it on the counter. From experience of having little hands not so long ago.
Sadly - in our house I've removed all the toliet paper holders.. because my 2 year old thinks it's the greatest games to spin the wheel and have all the TP on the roll... quickly spin in the toliet.
ReplyDeleteSo we keep the roll sitting on the back of the toliet... Not pretty... but functional.
I like the "assigned job" idea.
Ummmmm, I never replace it either. This bugs my husband to no end.
ReplyDeleteI'm MUCH too busy to deal with the toilet paper roll.
Oh dear- in my house, it isn't just the kids. At least they have the excuse that they learn it from their dad... hmmmm, any ideas how to teach him????
ReplyDeleteDon't bother - more than once I have had to fish a toilet paper spindle out of a dirty toilet (as in, not flushed yet dirty) because the children tried replacing the paper themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they want to replace it? Do they even know it can be replaced? Mine would drop the spindle in the commode, and flush it. Then we could pay the plumber to come back again in this one week period to clean out the drain pipe. Last week he had to snake out the entire drain from the house to the sewer and the main bath toilet and the sink off the master bath still don't drain properly.
ReplyDeleteI second the holder like this. http://www.touchofclass.com/product/code/L675-001.do?code=CMZ2007 no parts to remove