Last month when our cleaning lady came Ashley asked that she not clean her bathroom.  I hoped it was because she was going to clean it herself but turns out it was so trashed she just didn’t want to bother to clean it for the cleaning lady. Around our house we clean up for the cleaning lady because she is one tough cookie and I am a little afraid of her.

I mentioned to her during our conversation that her bathroom was disgusting and her toilet needed attention.  She replied “I know, what is all that black stuff in there?”.  I replied “dirt” and that is when I realized that my toilet training with Ashley had ended at the ripe old age of two.  My child had never seen a dirty toilet.  Someone , myself or a cleaning person had always cleaned her toilet so she had no idea that they were anything but pristine and white.

So I “toilet trained” her once again at the age of 18.  I explained all about the toilet bowl cleaner and the brush and how it all worked.  I was going to venture into the area of mopping and pulling hair out of the drain but I thought that might push her over the edge. She seems intrigued by this mystery being solved but a little disappointed like when she found out there was no Easter bunny.  It was almost sad to watch the look on her face as she realized that this toilet cleaning task was now being bestowed upon her.

I guess it’s all part of growing up. Learning that the toilets don’t clean themselves and that groceries don’t just appear in the pantry. Growing up isn’t for the faint of heart and watching them grow up isn’t any easier.