To expect my 9 year old child to use a toilet brush?

[jennifersofia]

For goodness sake - the drama and denial associated with it when asked to sort her own mess out!
Oh, and by the way, what sort of chores / responsibilities does your 9 yr old have?

singersgirl - I've also often wondered why people have such a problem with a brush that's there for one purpose only - it's not as though someon'e going to clean their teeth with it!

And to those who don't have one:

I think most people would be embarrassed at the idea of leaving skid marks down someone else's loo - so imo there should be a loo brush out of consideration for your guests.

Far too many chemicals get into our waterways - totally naiive to say bleach gets diluted - of course it does - into the environment.

Squirt your loo brush with antibacterial spray every day if you're bothered about the germs!

My 10 and 7 year olds know they have to clean up any marks they leave, they are allowed to use a bit of spray cleaner (not bleach) and tissues then know about hand washing hygeine.

I don't get all this protecting dc from terrible germs thing, surely they need to do this kind of thing to know about living in a community and taking responsibility? My dc have also not had a stomach bug in yonks.

Not keen on bog brushes though we do have them, this thread has encouraged me to replace them.

I think people who have brushphobia don't know how to use them properly and obviously think you put them back in the holder caked in shit.
I hate to see an unclean toilet brush but equally hate to see no toilet brush, I don't want to stick my hand down someone elses toilet to clean thanks.

DS 6 and DD 10 have used a brush from about 4 years old.

Nancy do you dislike the use of flannels or just the sight of them?
I don't know how to get washed properly without a flannel, or sponge or something so not being funny genuinely interested.

Oh... and by the way... to those of you who favour chemicals over brushes - you may well be harming your family's health, too... Asthma, anyone?

notso - hate the look of them and what they're there for. shower gel/soap and water will wash you.

I am genuinely surprised that anyone would prefer skidmarks to a toilet brush...

I wouldn't trust a 9yo with bleach - too easy to spill on clothes / leave cap off for dog to drink etc.

But 9 is PLENTY old enough to do a poo, check the loo afterwards, and give it a quick scrub with the brush if necessary.

My dad worked as a toilet cleaner for several years, when I was a kid he said he was perfectly happy to clean up other people's shit as long as he got paid for it, gave me and sis the choice of paying him (out of our pocket money) or learning to do it ourselves.

My DH was NOT trained to do this as a child and it drives me MENTAL.

Bleach and proper clean is a once-a-week job. I don't have time to sterilise the porcelain throne after every bowel movement. Sorry if that makes me skanky.

I never feel clean unless I've scrubbed myself though my hands are too soft to slough off dead skin cells. Also DS always needs something abraisive to clean off assorted goo
Just so you don't think I'm skanky we have colour coded flannels and they get washed everyday.

Grumpla - you're not skanky you're environmentally aware

Oh yes, of course fortyplus where do I sign up for sainthood :o

Grumpla....you dont NEED bleach OR a brush to remove a skiddy!

DC scrub the toilet for pocket money from about the age of 6yo. It's better than me having to do it nothing.
Rubber gloves or reaching down the loo with tissue? (BOAK)

I think some toilet bowls are more prone to skiddies than others. At my MIL's the toilet pans are a sort of flat bottomed style, so when you do a poo it sorts of sits there in all it's glory until you flush. In our own loos at home the pan is narrower and deeper so the poo automatically gets directed into the exit pipe but it can tend to "catch" on the side of pan as it goes down. Bloody wierd topic of conversation this isn't it!!??Anyhoo, I think that some toilet pans are just more likely than others to result in skid marks, it has nothing to do with dietary habits. If any skid marks do occur I wipe with a folded piece of paper - but if they are below the waterline and not budged by a flush or two then a quick swish with a loo brush does the job - the brush is then rinsed in the clean water as the loo flushes, and put back in it's holder. Every few days I use loo cleaner or bleach and the brush gets a good swish out then. Yes it might have a germ or two on it but it's not like I am cleaning my teeth with it is it? I also use flannels for daily washing, but they are washed after every use - I have a huge stack of them.

And I agree, what's wrong with putting your hand in the bowl to wipe with a piece of dry tissue - you use bare hand to wipe your own bum don't you, or to change your babies nappies? Or do you all keep a box of latex gloves by the loo for bum wiping purposes? By the way I lived in Asia for a number of years and very sensibly the toilets there all come with an additional little hose type attachment, used for bum squirting/skid wipe removing (using dry paper to wipe your arse is considered very unhygienic).

I think my MIL has had the same loo brush all the time I have known her - 16 years!

how many of you just fainted?

Toilet brushes are so damn cheap. Tesco value one's couple quid each. At that price you just replace the brush every couple of weeks.

Always had a toilet brush. Cannot remember the last time anyone had a tummy bug.

And yes, a 9yr old should be able to clean a toilet.

As for kids being slaves if you give them chores...

Mutt I do exactlyt he same as you. :)

You are welcome here anytime to do anything in my loo.

YaBU

I would rather use a toilet brush than put bleach down. Much kinder to the environment. I am somewhat surprised that so many of you use bleach.

I've a 17 year old here who doesn't know how to use the loo brush, but that's what I;m for.

I am truly horrified at this. If you object in principle to toilet brushes, fine but to tate that you are there to clean up after your 17yo.

OP - YANBU, I've been using loo brushes since I was about 5. Perhaps it's because I was an 'odd' child (SN), perhaps it's because my father hates skid marks, perhaps it's because due to IBS I simply saw the need to use toilet brushes as I only ever went twice a week!

I soak my brush in bleach weekly and clean it after every use, plus douse it in bleach with every use. No problems, I always tap the brush on the side of the bowl (internally I hasten to add) to remove any 'bits' and then pour bleach down. I also clean my toilet daily before I go to bed but I'm a bit anal about these things.

DP NEVER uses the brush, his family never do either. I have to make sure I never look down when I'm attempting to lower myself on the loo at their house as there's always a massive piece of poo on the side of the bowl. Gross. Really makes me want to vomit. Not sure WHY they even have toilet brushes when they don't use them!

Also, FITG - lots of people have medical problems which can cause poo to go in odd parts of the bowl such as IBS or the side effects of common medications such as codeine which can cause terrible constipation. I wish simply eating a healthy diet would eradicate my need to use 3 types of laxatives a day to go every few days, alas!

We've always had toilet brushes. I find the idea of actually putting my hand in the toilet to wipe the marks utterly revolting, rubber glove or not. even if it were my own marks. If they were someone else's..

And my 5-year old niece knows how to use a toilet brush and that one should always check and remove any marks after oneself. So YANBU to expect a 9-year old to manage the same.

"Grumpla....you dont NEED bleach OR a brush to remove a skiddy!"

So what you (and other posters) are suggesting is that I put my hand down the toilet? Really? That's better than having a brush?

Then I'd need a pair of "skidmark only" rubber gloves hanging next to the loo on a nail, with a small sign saying "Skidmarks only, not for washing up".

Or should I just do it bare handed? Really? REALLY?!?!?

Although... perhaps the Pedlars website could start a range of gingham "Skidmark Gauntlet" signs, complete with artfully "distressed" hook business to hang them on. That could work.

I think I'll stick to a Matalan toilet brush hidden behind the loo :)

If I had a 17 year old who didn't know to clean up their own faeces, I'd be ashamed of myself.

I've not read the thread so this had probably been said already.

Toilet brushes are nothing more than shit brushes, you'll put more bacteria in the loo thant remove using one of those.

She's NINE! Asking her to clean the loo is a bit much. I would think setting the table, cleaning her room, some washing up, helping to keep the house tidy in general would be about right for her. Cleaning bathrooms at 9 years old is too much IMO.

I think it is quite amusing that after 8+ years of Mumsnet, the thread that gets the most interest is about loo brushes!
Quite a good idea of your dad's, Grampia, of being paid to do it out of pocket money .
Ah yes, the toilet bowl shape - when my parents first came from the US my dad said that he didn't get it - why are the toilet bowls shaped so the poo doesn't go down? In America there is always a large water base so the poo always falls into the water - e.g. no problem with 'remains'.