The Toothbrush {A Priceless Parenting Tip}

I packed in a hurry–distractedly grabbing Heidi’s toothbrush from the drawer and Dutch’s from off the counter. I’d just gotten him a new one, blue so I could remember it was his.

Once at the beach house, I unpacked the toiletries, and called the kids in to brush their teeth. Heidi grabbed her pink-dotted one, and Dutch grabbed his blue one.

They squeezed a dot of paste and began brushing away. Heidi glanced over at Dutch: “Ummm, that’s the toothbrush from beneath the sink, the one Mommy uses for cleaning the bathroom.”

I interrupted her: “Oh, Heidi, please don’t tease. No it’s not. That’s his new one. I packed it myself.” She quieted. They finished brushing.

A few days later, when we arrived back home, I unpacked the toiletries again and asked the kids to brush. Dutch grabbed the same blue brush from the toiletry bag, then opened the drawer:

Dutch: “Oh, my toothbrush is here in the drawer.”

Heidi: “Yeah, I told you — that one you’ve been using is the bathroom cleaner one from beneath the sink.”

Me: “No Heidi, I packed it — it was on the counter. I never leave it on the counter, it’s always down beneath the sink.”

Heidi: “I know but I used it to clean out a mess in the sink right before our trip and I must have left it on the counter. I’m sorry.” 

#mommyfail

~

Parenting Tip: Clearly distinguish between your toilet-cleaning toothbrushes and your children’s toothbrushes.

{Happy brushing! 😉 Thanks for reading.}