You know this guy?
Yeah. Micah and Hyrum. These guys.
I cannot get these two to do something very small. See this?
I've had it. I've tried making them sit down, but I'm not around them every time they need "the facilities." I've tried instructing them as they aim, but, like I said above, I'm not there every time.
Last night, I had them each scrub in and around and behind and beside and in front of a toilet. And I told them they'd be doing this every night until there were no telltale puddles or discolored stains to be seen.
And what did Hyrum say? "Mom, this is an easy job."
Like I said, a little help, please?
hahaha this made me laugh! I have 2 sons so I feel your pain. When I hear the bathroom door bust open I usually yell out from across the house 'aim for the water'....hahaha. My sister suggested I put a ping pong ball in the toilet and tell them they have to 'hit it'.....haha but I decided not to in the end.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! hopefully I can get some good tips too!!
So sorry, but I've got nothing for you. I can imagine, though. I feel your aiming pains.
ReplyDeletePS: I laughed out loud that the "good thing" England has is Bird's Custard. So funny. Incidentally, we have two packets in the cupboard right now, despite the fact that I now make my own custard. Want me to send it to you? :)
Oh my boys are so fun in the bathroom - ha ha!
ReplyDeleteI think the best remedy is to make it a game. Stick a bullseye to the bottom of the toilet and have them aim for it.
Try this link: http://shop.ebay.com/sis.html?_nkw=Toilet+Potty+Training+Target+Boys+Bullseye+Bulls+eye
It's a crack up! Good luck
I got nothing. Keep having them scrub.
ReplyDeleteUnless you can persuade them to sit down (the great thing about a European husband - standing is for out in the woods) I don't know what to suggest. My DIL thanks me for our family tradition of sitting, now that her two boys are starting to shed the diapers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the target suggestion, but I've always just thrown some cheerios in the toilet and had them aim for those. That way you don't have to stick your hand in the toilet to retrieve anything (blech!), just flush them away. You can keep a little cup of them on the top of the commode, I bet they throw them in themselves when you're not around!
ReplyDeleteThe target that they have online is generally the flushable one, first of all. I'm potty training my boy now, so we've been looking for ways to keep him interested, and a lot of them involve helping them hit the water too. One that's fairly easy is "dye-ing" the water. You just put in a few drops of food coloring and then they try to change the color when they hit the water. (Those blue bleach tablets are great for doing this easily!) The cheerios is a good idea, and you can use froot loops too since they're easier to see. Until they get the hang of that, definitely keep having them scrub! Even grown-ups have a hard time sometimes (like when they forget to turn on the light in the middle of the night!) so at our house, I scrub the inside of the toilet, the men-folk are in charge of the outside of it and behind it. I tell them that I can't make that mess, so I won't clean it up!
ReplyDeleteSeriously - what gives. My first four didn't seam to have any trouble with the aim. I didn't use any tricks to teach them, they sat until they could reach and then they tinkled in the water like they were supposed to do. then these two came alone and I don't think they stop long enough to let anything focus in on their target. I've come to decide that once again I needed to be humbled. Out of 6 boys it was time that my bathrooms smelled like a 6 boys bathroom. Until then I assumed mothers weren't teaching or simply weren't cleaning. See - I am always to proud and judge to much. I needed humbling. So after my long comment I simply got nothing for you sister.
ReplyDeleteSorry to say I'm right there with ya! The part I hate the most is forgetting to "check" before I sit down. EWWWWW
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI have never left a comment before but have always loved hearing about your family! I especially loved how you took a picture of yourself one day and challenged other bloggers to take a pic of themselves at that moment. Some of those pics were so funny. Well, I read something at "Thy Hand Hath Provided" when she was potty training her son which I wish I had thought of when I was going thru the worst of it. She wrote a sign that said "Sam MUST SIT!" on the toilet seat. Maybe a sign would help a little?
haha! stinkers-love those boys! That's one thing I definitely do not miss that! This is why I was so happy to let my brothers have full reign of the downstairs bathroom, provided they let me have the upstairs one.
ReplyDeleteWe actually had a lesson about this at Enrichment one night. The teacher explained that if we have little boys we need to unassemble the toilet often and soak it and clean it. I guess that doesn't help much with the day to day problem. At least you won't have this problem with little Evie.
ReplyDeleteMine stands on a stool as aiming directly in seems to be the only way it gets in! Doesn't always work, and I only have one boy and notice our bathroom stinks since potty training. Maybe we should just make all little boys go outside until their aiming improves. :) Then, of course, we'd have to deal with all the dead vegetation in the yard.
ReplyDeleteMy DIL had the same problem, and she cured it the same way you are trying to...by having her son clean it up himself.
ReplyDeleteBut what about "tinkle targets"?
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Tinkle-Targets-Cons.html
They have all different kinds, and I think it could be fun for them.
heehee
=)
PS. If you don't like having to buy something, try fruit loops for the targets!
ReplyDelete=)
Good luck with this one - I have 2 boys (and my husband) and there's pee everywhere - they are now cleaning their own toilets - just never felt right asking them to sit :(
ReplyDeleteohhhh noooooo haha (at his reaction) that is soooo not what you wanted to hear! haha
ReplyDeletesorry i got nothing..mine would just blame it on the other!
Drain your toilet, put one of the following at the bottom/back of the toilet bowl- where you'd like them to aim for:a red vinyl bulls eye sticker, or a dot of red nail polish. The latter is harder to remove, but easier to put on, but it worked like a charm for my younger brothers. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteOh...as I was reading I thought for sure that the scrubbing would work. I need to give that a try too....except all the neighborhood boys would have to help too. There is always a different kid coming out of that bathroom.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what works.
You may not remember the toilets smelling when the other two boys were little, but I do. I didn't so much like scrubbing the toilet. But then Lily and I got our own boy-free bathroom, and it was better. Except for all the hair in the drain..... :)
ReplyDeleteWe have the same problem over here! Too bad it's such an "easy" job! HE HE :)
ReplyDeleteI would continue to make them clean the toilets. It might be an easy job right now, but they will get sick of it.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried them, but there is something called "piddlers" that are like targets for little boys with bad aim, or those that are just learning. If that doesn't work, there's always bribes. Buy a big Costco size box of regular sized candy bars or their favorite candy bars....just a thought.
Sue took my suggestions. When my 3 brothers were small, they would (if you can believe it) all stand around the potty and have a little tinkle together. Then one would tickle the other and the pee would go everywhere. My mom used to throw a square of toilet paper in there and challenge them to hit it. You could use Cheerios, Froot Loops, etc. Sounds like they have all kinds of things you can buy now too. Hopefully they're up for the challenge of target practice!
ReplyDeleteKeep them cleaning theywill tire of it and their aim will get better
ReplyDeleteI know your future DIL will appreciate a man who can CLEAN a potty!! As Ed always says "when they are a senior in high school it won't be problem." Well, maybe!
ReplyDeleteTwo words. Giant Funnel.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me a little glad that my first child is a girl :) I'm sure I'll have my own potty horror stories soon but once E gets the whole potty thing down, I'm sure she'll have good aim :)
ReplyDeleteHey Jen,
ReplyDeleteYou should try the wee target... they're fantastic!
Makes it fun for the boys to practice aiming in the same spot! And when the warm liquid hits the target it reveals a picture.
Here's a link if you want to try it..
http://www.weetarget.com.au/store/
It's an Aussie company... but I assume they ship overseas. By now I'd say the U.S would have something similar?
Pip :)