I don’t know what my daughter eats at her mom’s while she’s there but too often, she comes back to my place and clogs the toilet! This article wasn’t written to make fun of shit or to complain about shit. It’s just that this shit happens often enough that has prompted me to do two things. First, give my daughter more fiber in her diet and second, teach her to plunge the toilet. So, here’s what happened when I taught her to use a plunger.

She’s not above it all. If she enjoys cleanliness, then she must also have the same opinion and value for the people who perform those roles.  Some of the most basic things are amongst the most important. And picking up a plunger does not define her in any negative way. In fact, it defines her as someone who will literally roll up her sleeves and get shit done!

Shit will get worse if she doesn’t deal with it. It is not okay to walk away from a clogged toilet and let daddy deal with it. Don’t let her get into a habit that someone else will fix things. Problems don’t fix themselves and while time might make it easier to unclog it later, there is the real chance that the longer it remains clogged; the more shit will pile up later.

 

As a parent, I would not be doing her any favors by letting her get away with shit.

 

Somebody who lets her get away with shit, may not necessarily be her friend. If somebody (like her parent) continues to do things for her and she continues to shrug off everyday household tasks and increasingly higher responsibilities, then she will not have learned anything and truly believes that she can get away with not doing anything. As a parent, I would not be doing her any favors by letting her get away with shit.

Somebody who shits on her may not necessarily be her enemy. It’s not a matter of finding fault but a matter of being accountable. There shouldn’t be a burden or presumption of guilt when things go south; sometimes, shit happens! But being forthright and taking responsibility, even if she’s not entirely involved will speak volumes about her character. Pitching in especially when shit has nothing to do with her will bring it over the top!

I’m a Gen-X dad. So compared to all the present-day Millennials, I’m old school. And I like things that are simple. If things are simple, it can be fancied up. If they are too fancy to begin with, it’s tough to find out where things went wrong. And it will. It takes courage and fortitude to deal with shit.

My daughter resisted and complained about the plunger at first. Then after a few carefully placed compressions, she saw immediate progress. I’m glad she is learning to take care of her own shit.