*someone* keeps clogging the toilet

[USAmma]

We have two toilets in the house-- ours and the kids/guest bathroom. I have two children, ages 10 and 7. Both of them have been instructed many, many times on how to not use a huge wad of paper, to flush often if necessary, and of course to flush once and for all after finishing. Almost on a daily basis I am finding the kid bathroom not flushed and it appears to have been used multiple times between flushes. At least 2x a week the toilet actually gets clogged and I have to use the plunger to get things through it. Obviously this is getting very old.

So, I had another talk with the kids in front of dh. He is more confrontational-- "who did this?" and of course they both clammed up and said they didn't do it. Based on the reactions of the kids, I have my strong suspicions it's the older one because she looks guilty and denies it loudly. She's a bit of a disorganized dreamer. She has a long history of clogging the toilet. At one point I had to be the TP police and hand out only enough to use for each job, but life is too busy for that. Nor can I monitor who uses each bathroom and who flushes afterwards.

The younger one is much more of a rule follower. She also tends to use our bathroom more than her own because she's a bit scared of the kid bathroom (that common bathroom phobia that some young kids get). Unlike the older one, the younger one also tends to wash her hands consistently afterwards and proudly shows me that she's done this.

How do I find out who's doing this? And how do we solve it? 

Thanks!

[HollyBearsMom]

switch to cloth! 

I have no idea  how to get the kids to fess up but maybe you could have a chart and everyone in the family has to take turns unclogging  and then cleaning the toilet?  No assigning blame, shaming, getting angry etc. More like "OK- the toilet is clogged- Dad took care of it last time, lets see whose turn it is now". That would be incentive enough for me! 

Another thing could be a sign on the door, wall etc that reads "Did your remember to FLUSH?" maybe with a funny clip art picture?

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

switch to cloth! 

I have no idea  how to get the kids to fess up but maybe you could have a chart and everyone in the family has to take turns unclogging  and then cleaning the toilet?  No assigning blame, shaming, getting angry etc. More like "OK- the toilet is clogged- Dad took care of it last time, lets see whose turn it is now". That would be incentive enough for me! 

Another thing could be a sign on the door, wall etc that reads "Did your remember to FLUSH?" maybe with a funny clip art picture?

ha ha! I'm sure I would be pulling cloth out of the plumbing!

I do make the girls take turns flushing the unflushed toilets but this might be unfair to the one who flushes more regularly and really isn't doing it. I would LOVE to teach them to unclog but dh strongly objects because we would end up cleaning nasty water off the floor and the kids most likely. I can't wait to teach them when they are older though.

[HollyBearsMom]

Hmmmmm......

How about having to "supervise" the unclogging (ie: get the plunger, cleaning supplies, etc) and then having to clean up afterwards instead of doing the actual unclogging? 

I hear you about the "fair" part but it might be incentive for them both to do the policing instead of you. The key is to take you out of the fray. If the younger one is always flushing she might take it upon herself to police the other? Of course then you might get into a he said/she said struggle. ugh.

Dilemma dilemma....

Are you sure it isn't DH?? He does sound a little defensive.....

J/K!!!!  

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom 

Hmmmmm......

How about having to "supervise" the unclogging (ie: get the plunger, cleaning supplies, etc) and then having to clean up afterwards instead of doing the actual unclogging? 

I hear you about the "fair" part but it might be incentive for them both to do the policing instead of you. The key is to take you out of the fray. If the younger one is always flushing she might take it upon herself to police the other? Of course then you might get into a he said/she said struggle. ugh.

Dilemma dilemma....

Are you sure it isn't DH?? He does sound a little defensive.....

J/K!!!!  

ha ha! Maybe it is him . . . .

[USAmma]

 We have decided to ask older dd to use only the kid bathroom, and younger dd to use only our bathroom. Hopefully we can now find the culprit-- or better yet they will know we are onto them and they will try harder.

[HollyBearsMom]

good idea!!!   Hope it works, post back and let me know!

[AllisonR]

Originally Posted by USAmma 

 We have decided to ask older dd to use only the kid bathroom, and younger dd to use only our bathroom. Hopefully we can now find the culprit-- or better yet they will know we are onto them and they will try harder.

Good plan. But why can't a 7 yo or 10 yo unclog the toilet? I mean isn't that the consequence of blocking it up? I don't mean you should blame them, just get them to get the plunger, plunge it out... If they then splatter all over the floor, then they can get a rag and wash up the floor and put the rag in the laundry. 

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by AllisonR 

Good plan. But why can't a 7 yo or 10 yo unclog the toilet? I mean isn't that the consequence of blocking it up? I don't mean you should blame them, just get them to get the plunger, plunge it out... If they then splatter all over the floor, then they can get a rag and wash up the floor and put the rag in the laundry. 

My dh is very OCD about certain things, and poop water is huge. He gets so disturbed by it and won't let the girls try for fear of the mess involved. It was just recently that he agreed that the kids can wash dishes (putting their hands in the dirty dish water). He has his issues-- at least he changed diapers when they were smaller!

BTW I caught the culprit today! It was the one I suspected and she was embarrassed about it. Hopefully that will be motivation to try harder next timel

[sapphire_chan]

Since clogs are often a result of too much TP, and too much TP can come from feeling like you aren't getting clean, maybe it would help her to have flushable wet wipes available?

Also, if you're using a "strong" TP, like Charmin, switch to something cheaper and flimsier. When I was living with roommates and using Charmin we'd get clogs once a month. Since then (over 10 years ago) dh and I have dealt with one clog.

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan 

Since clogs are often a result of too much TP, and too much TP can come from feeling like you aren't getting clean, maybe it would help her to have flushable wet wipes available?

Also, if you're using a "strong" TP, like Charmin, switch to something cheaper and flimsier. When I was living with roommates and using Charmin we'd get clogs once a month. Since then (over 10 years ago) dh and I have dealt with one clog.

This.  We only ever get clogs when the expensive TP is on sale.  No problems at all with the cheap stuff.