Too much for an 8yo?

[pastrygirl]

Is it too much to have an 8yo clean toilets weekly?

My 8yo son makes a huge mess every time he pees. It goes everywhere in all different directions. Our bathrooms smell like public restrooms all the time now! We even have a cleaning person every two weeks, and the de-stinking only lasts a day. When my son was younger, we had him sit for a month and then try again. Sitting made the stink go away...it was so nice! But he really resists it. I want to keep giving him a chance, because he stands everywhere else (school, other houses, etc.)

I decided he needed to wipe down the toilet Clorox wipes whenever he goes. He sometimes does that, but usually uses toilet paper and doesn't get it all. He just doesn't SEE the mess. We're talking full puddles in front of the toilet. (Don't go into my bathrooms barefoot, ever!) The tile is also gross. We bought removable toilet seats a year or two ago to make it easier to clean all the gunk.

The problem with HIM wiping down with wipes is that he's already a bit neurotic about using toilets after someone else. When we have guests, he won't use the guest bathroom, which is also his bathroom. He uses the downstairs bathroom, but has to wipe it down first. He always wipes down a toilet before pooping, too. I had planned to make a chart with X's showing where he needs to wipe, in case he doesn't see anything. My husband thinks this will feed his issues with wiping/sharing toilets and make it worse. I think I agree.

My other plan was to have him deep-clean the toilets every week, including removing the toilet seat and thoroughly cleaning it. We did it once with my supervision, and my son actually LIKED doing it. But, my husband thinks it's way too much for an 8yo -- that someone that young should NOT be cleaning toilets.

I can't take the freaking smell anymore! (Oh, and apparently, circ'ing him is the "only" solution. NO.)

Thoughts?

[Giantbear]

I don't think it is too much for an 8 year old, i just don't think it will work and it will have bad consequences otherwise. I think having him wipe down with clorox is going to feed into his germ issues regarding the toilette and will do nothing to teach him to aim more responsibly. I would tell him he has to sit until he can better aim, and i think Dad has to get involved in giving nightly pee lessons until he gets it. This is going to sound crazy, but if you live near a wooded area, have him pee in the woods and write his name. Keeping froot loops by the potty and having him drop a few in the bowl and use them as target practice will also work. Both ideas are meant to teach him how to aim.

Look, as a man, i can tell you you don't always have full control over the stream, splatter and occasional missing is going to happen and yes, the stream can split into two, but wholesale missing every time is simply laziness or poor form.

[BunnyBee]

As Giantbear said, it sounds like he needs to be sitting. DS has been cleaning his toilet weekly under DH's supervision since 7. (We don't take the seat off--it's a Clorox wand scrubbing and swipe down with cleaning wipes.) Puddles of urine are way different than sprinkles though, and that can't wait for a week!

DS is uncircumcised and does not have accuracy issues as you described, but if there's something mechanical happening... There can be adhesions, etc. Can DH help figure out whether he's capable of peeing straight?

[hillview]

+1 Giantbear.

[pastrygirl]

As Giantbear said, it sounds like he needs to be sitting. DS has been cleaning his toilet weekly under DH's supervision since 7. (We don't take the seat off--it's a Clorox wand scrubbing and swipe down with cleaning wipes.) Puddles of urine are way different than sprinkles though, and that can't wait for a week!

DS is uncircumcised and does not have accuracy issues as you described, but if there's something mechanical happening... There can be adhesions, etc. Can DH help figure out whether he's capable of peeing straight?

There are several streams. My younger son (also intact) does not have this problem at all. My husband says that the stream is not completely controllable, and is of the get-him-cut camp. :/

[pastrygirl]

Look, as a man, i can tell you you don't always have full control over the stream, splatter and occasional missing is going to happen and yes, the stream can split into two, but wholesale missing every time is simply laziness or poor form.

Yeah, I don't understand why there are puddles. I was completely confounded when he stood up after #2 and the seat was covered in pee. How does THAT happen?

[Giantbear]

split streams can mean some sort of blockage towards teh end of the urethra. If this happens all the time, i would ask the pediatrician about it. I do not think circumcision effects this unless the foreskin is blocking the end, but i was circumcised 8 days after birth.

Pee on the seat means he is not pushing the tip downward when sitting. It is not enough to just sit, you must still point the tip downward.

troublesome appendages, ain't they