Bathroom Helpers

When you are organizing a room and want it to stay that way, you look at three things:  tools, techniques, and timing.

Tools 

    In the bathroom, each member of the family needs their own place to keep their tools.  This includes a toothbrush, combs and brushes, shavers and blow dryers, and bath towels.  Personal tools need to be labeled with each person's name.

For example, if there is room, there might be a separate towel rack for everyone.  If not, then towel racks can be shared.  But, it is important that each person have a "home" for their own towel.  In addition, each member of the family should have their own colored towel; or, if that is not practical, a towel of similar color as other family members which has been clearly labeled with his or her name.  This places direct responsibility upon each person to hang up their own towel after it has been used.  

    In the same way, all bathroom tools need their own "home" and personal labels.  

Techniques

    Each family member should know how to change the toilet paper when it runs out, replace the kleenex when it is gone, and put out a new bar of soap when the old is used up.

     Family standards should be set up which include what the bathroom will look like when a person has finished using the toilet:  the toilet has been flushed, the lid is down, and there is still toilet paper on the roll.

    What will the bathroom look like after a person has brushed their teeth?  Has their toothbrush been put back in its "home", the toothpaste put away, the sink cleaned of spittle, and the tap turned off?

    What will the bathroom look like when a person has finished taking a bath/shower:?  Is their towel is hung up, the wash cloth has been put in the dirty clothes bucket, and the shower curtain neatly spread to dry? 

Timing

    The family can meet together to discuss bathroom standards.  Then individual training and a practice session may be necessary to insure that everyone understands the standards.

    After that, someone in the family will have to be the "sheriff" in order to help family members remember this duty.  When a family member is first learning to keep new standards, it may be necessary to have a "return and report" method to check that when tooth brushing done, the toilet is used, or baths are taken, the bathroom is left up to standard.

    Find more helpful ideas in the "House of Order" Handbook.