Garga Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 So, I'm standing there with DS12 and the toilet starts to overflow--yellowish-brownish water is pouring over the top. I grab a cup from the tub and start dipping my bare hands into the water, filling the cup, and splooshing it into the sink, getting everything on the sink covered in pee/poo water. I yell out, "Grab me some towels!" DS12 takes off running and brings me back three of my brand new dishtowels I got for Christmas. "No! Not dishtowels that we'll dry our dishes with! The old towels in the bottom drawer in the dining room!" Off he runs, this time bringing back a single old dish towel. And now I start getting irritated. "NO! The BIG towels from the bottom drawer in the dining room!" That's where I keep the old towels--dishtowels plus the 6 foot long old towels that got old and frayed. Nice big towels for when you have a bucket of pee/poo water all over your bathroom floor. He finally brings them back, I admit that I said a sarcastic, "Thank you for bringing me something other than a dishtowel when the floor is covered in pee/poo water," and DS got really upset. And I got upset with him for getting upset at me for getting upset at him for bringing me dishtowels in a water emergency. So...when will I be able to depend on these kids in a crisis? And when will I stop getting snarky when they're rotten in a crisis? I was wondering when I could leave the kids alone for a few hours at a time. I'm thinking 22? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I'm sorry. I am laughing. I am afraid we will have to follow them around for the rest of their lives. Actually, I remember I did learn this kind of stuff eventually as a teen/young adult, but sometimes it was because I tried to apply a dish towel solution to a several-bath-towel problem. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 You can count on them when you've trained them and drilled them in emergency responses. Teach them how the toilet works -- youtube and "how stuff works" type sites can help with this. Then they can manually shut off the water or whatever is needed. Also teach them what is acceptable to use to mop up disgusting stuff and what is not. Fire drills. Gas/water/oil/other fluids for the car, how to air up the tires.... How to go for help if the car breaks down, how to call 911, where the emergency numbers are listed at home, how to put out a grease fire, how to operate a fire extinguisher, how to do CPR and the Heimlich maneuver.... People who are good in emergencies are more level-headed than others but they are also the people who actually know exactly what to do, which only comes by training and practice. Teach the skill, drill the skill, review the skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Oh, and it's interesting to know that the reason we were standing there in the bathroom together is because son had tossed his wet snow clothes onto the toilet plunger that was drying out in the tub. I told him to remove the clothes from off the plunger because now the clothes had poo on them. And that's when I tried flushing the toilet again and plunging it and the water just kept rising and rising... (And I totally forgot all about shutting off the water for myself--just watched it rise and tried to bail out as much as I could. Guess I'm not much good in a crisis, either.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Oh, and it's interesting to know that the reason we were standing there in the bathroom together is because son had tossed his wet snow clothes onto the toilet plunger that was drying out in the tub. I told him to remove the clothes from off the plunger because now the clothes had poo on them. And that's when I tried flushing the toilet again and plunging it and the water just kept rising and rising... (And I totally forgot all about shutting off the water for myself--just watched it rise and tried to bail out as much as I could. Guess I'm not much good in a crisis, either.) LOL! What you need is a horrible second bathroom in which you have to train yourself in All Things Toilet just to keep the thing going. I take that back. That is one part of my life that I wouldn't wish on anyone or advise that they seek out deliberately. But knowing how to fix the toilet is the reason I get to have my own bathroom, as the only female in this whole big family, so at the end of the day it's worth it. LOL I don't even let the menfolks use it. It is my bathroom and my poorly-operating toilet and no exceptions made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Don't feel bad. DH and I have been known to snip at one another in the heat of a crisis. We apologize and move on. Same with the kids. (Although....I've got one child that has "if it were a snake it woulda bit me" syndrome in the worst way. Any crisis that involves him FINDING the item I send him for is going to become more work for me, not less!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 If it makes you feel better, we were at a dinner the other night, and my toddler spilled a full cup of juice on the floor. I told my 7yo, "Quick, go see if there's a roll of paper towels on that table over there!". He runs off, then comes back empty handed and says, "Yep, there is!". ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 If it makes you feel better, we were at a dinner the other night, and my toddler spilled a full cup of juice on the floor. I told my 7yo, "Quick, go see if there's a roll of paper towels on that table over there!". He runs off, then comes back empty handed and says, "Yep, there is!". ... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 If it makes you feel better apparently the toilet overflowed recently at our house (I was at work). My husband cleaned it up and the kids were being incredibly silly and unhelpful. He said he was ok until my middle son for some reason kissed the floor. Why? Because he's a class clown type and will do anything to get a reaction. This prompted his sister to then lick the floor. Why? Because she thinks her brother is the bee's knees and will do anything he does. So not bringing appropriate sized towels seems downright civilized to me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 If it makes you feel better apparently the toilet overflowed recently at our house (I was at work). My husband cleaned it up and the kids were being incredibly silly and unhelpful. He said he was ok until my middle son for some reason kissed the floor. Why? Because he's a class clown type and will do anything to get a reaction. This prompted his sister to then lick the floor. Why? Because she thinks her brother is the bee's knees and will do anything he does. So not bringing appropriate sized towels seems downright civilized to me. :) Kids are soooo weird! How did the human race ever survive? I mean, I really don't know. It's a wonder to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Lol! I'm enjoying the stories. I once put a tray of breadcrumbs under the broiler to brown. My 15yo walked in and asked me a question. I turned to her and we got involved in a conversation; suddenly she points and says, "f..f...f...f..." Completely forgetting I had put anything in the oven, I stared at her thinking maybe she was having a seizure or just messing around. The toddler walked in and yelled, "Mommy the house is on fire!" Luckily it was contained to the oven. She has yet to live that one down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 So, I'm standing there with DS12 and the toilet starts to overflow--yellowish-brownish water is pouring over the top. I grab a cup from the tub and start dipping my bare hands into the water, filling the cup, and splooshing it into the sink, getting everything on the sink covered in pee/poo water. I yell out, "Grab me some towels!" DS12 takes off running and brings me back three of my brand new dishtowels I got for Christmas. "No! Not dishtowels that we'll dry our dishes with! The old towels in the bottom drawer in the dining room!" Off he runs, this time bringing back a single old dish towel. And now I start getting irritated. "NO! The BIG towels from the bottom drawer in the dining room!" That's where I keep the old towels--dishtowels plus the 6 foot long old towels that got old and frayed. Nice big towels for when you have a bucket of pee/poo water all over your bathroom floor. He finally brings them back, I admit that I said a sarcastic, "Thank you for bringing me something other than a dishtowel when the floor is covered in pee/poo water," and DS got really upset. And I got upset with him for getting upset at me for getting upset at him for bringing me dishtowels in a water emergency. So...when will I be able to depend on these kids in a crisis? And when will I stop getting snarky when they're rotten in a crisis? I was wondering when I could leave the kids alone for a few hours at a time. I'm thinking 22? Um, he is male... he will never get it right no matter how hard he tries. trust me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 These stories are cracking me up! And y'all reminded me of one. When DSS was about 15, we had to go away overnight for a gymnastics meet. We agreed to let DSS stay home alone, seeing as how it would only be for 24 hours or so, and my folks lived less than 3 minutes away and could be over in a flash in case of any problem. All seemed to go well, but when we got home, we discovered the plunger in the bathroom sink was depressed, and the water was still running and overflowing to the floor and leaking into the basement! DSS said, well, he noticed the water while he was playing pool, and he got a bucket and put under the drip..... and went back to playing pool! He never once went upstairs to see where the water might be coming from. He never called his grandfather to report the problem or ask what he should do. No. He put out a bucket and went back to playing pool. Ayiyiyiyi!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Rag towels and rag cloths are on the bottom shelf of the laundry room closet. Easy to reach and they know where they are. 'Course, none of our towels are particularly special at this stage of the game, so rag towel could be a fairly broad term around here. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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