a large family AIBU

[whenIgetto3]

Ok we have 2DD and 2DS. They all have their own favourite colour for most things, laundry tubs, cups, towels etc etc, its our way of quickly picking up the right thing for the right child. I know my OCD taking control here

So toothbrushes are all in their "own" colour
DD 10 purple
DS 8 yellow
DS 7 blue
DD 4 pink

Now the 2 DDs no problem at all they use their colour toothbrush. The 2 DSs no chance, they have always had the same colour toothbrush, they are even named (due to this problem) but NO everytime I get to the bathroom they are swapping toothbrushes left right and centre.

AIBU or is using your own toothbrush just to hard for 8 and 7 year old boys !!!

I know in the grand scheme of things it's not a big issue but errgh I wouldn't want to use someone elses toothbrush and it is really beginning to wind me up.

Anyone any tips on how to stop this annoying habit of theirs? How do you other large families get around toothbrush issues?

Do you have a downstairs bathroom as well as upstairs? Could you put one up and one down so they wont get mixed and do it where there toothbrush is?

We do this because of space and time on school mornings, but it would work for separating the DS, too.

I don't care which toothbrush they use as long as it's not mine!

we've split them up too - dd1 (13) and dd2 (11) have to use different sinks for toothbrushing or it all gets a bit screechy

if your dsx2 don't care then I'd let it go....

Positive, we have 3 bathrooms so maybe I will try separating them and see how that goes.

Bumpy, they don't care at all but the DDs keep asking them if they are using theirs and we have a sneaky suspicion (from the look on their faces) they may be and they like me are horrified at the thought.

Right in the morning it will be DDs upstairs, DS1 in the downstairs bathroom and DS2 in the "outhouse" bathroom (so called as you have to go through the official back door into the extension bit)

Lets see if that works

God I feel like a total slattern. Mine all just use whatever random kids toothbrush I find on a bedroom floor - I do rinse it first though. They are all under 5 - does that make it OK? I figure they're on their first set of teeth so they have spares

lollystix I was like that but now they are older, go away overnight etc I would like them to use their own toothbrush

I have been to Lidl this morning and bought lots more - I still plan on the random sharing though. They are all sharing socks too from one bag and the older 2 share pants. It's bad now - god knows how much slacker I'm going to get when ds4 comes in 2 months.

Loollystix with my 2 boys they share pants and socks, the girls don't but they have 6 years between them, the boys have their own clothes but tend to swap t-shirts its only trousers that they don't share and that is mainly as although they are only 16 months apart they have very different tastes, one likes jeans round is bum (7 year old teenager) and the 8 year old is an old man in chinos !!

Congrats on no 4, sure you will not get too much slacker

I'd suggest any child who minds much about sharing maybe keeps their toothbrush in their own wash bag and in their room if needed?