13 yo with bad bathroom habits

Jennifer - posted on 10/27/2010

I have made my son clean up the bathroom and have sat down with him and discussed puberty to him about his other bad habbits too. As my son had to be forced to shower and look after his body, we are still working on it. But ya making your son clean up after himself might help him realize that he is being rather rude by leaving the bathroom like that.

Dree - posted on 10/07/2010

In a house of five with ONE bathroom....three females two males...this is a huge issue for us as well. Only the males here are 15 and 42. Neither one has good bathroom behaviors. It's gotten to where we no longer have the 17 yr old daughter clean the bathroom as a chore. I've told the 15 yr old several times over the last 4 yrs that I can and will embarass him when he misses. I've picked him up from school saying "by the way you have to clean the toilet, floor surrounding the toilet, and the walls in that corner because you yet again pee'ed all over the place" Do I care that I said this in front of several other kids at school? NOPE why should I when he doesnt care that he's not aiming. So we've done the embarassing him, we've done the cleaning up after himself, we've even done the male influence. But ya know what...when dad doesnt care son doesnt care. I've made a sign and have it hanging on the wall in front of the toilet...where they both have to stand and look while they are doing their business...the sign says "Wipe the seat and thte rest of your mess or you clean my ENTIRE house for a month with just a tooth brush" Does it work? Not all the time but you better believe the dad that works 2 full time jobs, he doesnt make as big of a mess any more. As for the son, yeah its a work in progress but he's getting better. Next step for him...taking proper showers *SIGH*

Leslie - posted on 10/06/2010

This is an issue for the Dad to address. You nagging him will not change his behavior. Don't clean it up. I don't touch my kids' bathroom. If they want to live in filth that is their choice. Stop being the Mommy and let the boy start growing up.

Natalie - posted on 10/01/2010

Have him clean the toilet...EVERY TIME. You will be amazed at how quickly he learns.

Susan - posted on 10/01/2010

I agree with making him clean the mess. That would be his chore until I say otherwise. If there was a mess he would stop whatever he was doing and go clean it. He is just being lazy and seeing what he can get away with!! Stay with it and he will cave sooner or later, but you have to stick with it!!

Jennifer - posted on 09/29/2010

He needs to slow down. As for the flushing thing. Make him stand there with his hand on the handle starting with 5 mins then longer if he continues the behavior.

Dina - posted on 09/29/2010

Thank you! Actually got him out of bed last night so that he could clean it up. Does not seem to phase him. Threatened that he will have a pail of soapy water and will have to do that entire corner if he continues.

My fingers are crossed!

Erica - posted on 09/28/2010

I have four children; 2 girls and 2 boys. My boys are 12 & 13. And I have been through some trying times with both my boys. My thirteen year old son had poor bathroom habits just as your son does. He was taught the proper way to use the bathroom. However, he became lazy and then the bathroom messes started.

The best (and quickest) way to teach your son proper manners, as I did with my son, is to make him clean his own mess. Wait outside the bathroom for him and lead him right back in and make him clean up his mess while you watch.
Let him know that if he uses the bathroom properly he won't have to clean up after himself. CONSISTENCY is the key to teaching him a habit. If he has to consistently clean up that disgusting mess, he will be more apt to use the bathroom properly and less apt to make a mess.
I hope this helps.
Good luck,
Erica

Nickie - posted on 09/28/2010

Make him get up 10 minutes early and before he leaves for school, stand in the doorway and watch him clean the bathroom up. (That's what the extra 10 minutes is for.) I have done this before too. Anything to have that bathroom clean after the messy teenage boy!

Dina - posted on 09/28/2010

Thank you all so very much! I have been trying that but the worst is having to clean it up, after he leaves for school. I do a cursory swipe, just so that the baby and I can sit down. Yucky feeling on the legs! I will make it do this after school everyday.

I've even asked his counselor but so far, she is not working on that. Which is why I asked here.

Thanks again!

Nickie - posted on 09/27/2010

Oy... I had this same problem with one of my boys. I made him clean the toilet and everything around it every single day until he finally stopped making such a ridiculous mess!

Trina - posted on 09/27/2010

I have 2 boys and we did exactly what Joan advised...and since I am a mean mom...I stood at the door until it was done my way...including scrubbing the floors and wiping down the walls and vanity around the toilet.

Joan - posted on 09/27/2010

in my house the toilet would be his chore. he would have to clean it daily.i would let him know that once he begins to respect the other people in the house that the chore can become a shared chore. i used to tell my son that he was going to have to wash my behind if he didn't change his ways.(it was an idle threat but he didn't know that)

Angie - posted on 09/26/2010

Don't clean up after him, you are only encouraging him to continue this behavior. Every time you go into the bathroom and find that he has peed on the seat ( or whatever), get him and make him clean it up. Give him a rag and some bathroom cleaner - don't make it easy. This would be especially effective when he has already gone to sleep, when he has a friend over, or in the morning before he usually wakes up. I doubt it will take long for him to learn to be more careful. It's obvious that he doesn't have respect for you or any of the others in your home when it comes to this. Help him learn to have that respect, his wife will thank you some day!