My oldest daughter turned eight this year and one of her many transitions into “big kid life” has been to manage her own bath-time routine.  One area she seemed to struggle with was temperature control.  I can’t tell you how many times I had to drain the tub because she’d managed to fill it with icy-cold or scalding-hot water.  I thought shifting her to showers would help but she would end up letting the water run for 10 minutes before her shower because she couldn’t seem to get the water to a comfortable temperature.  After awhile, I gave up on the training and opted to start the shower for her each night.  It was tedious, but at least I didn’t have to worry about her scalding herself or draining all the contents of the hot-water heater. 

Then last week I had one of those ah-hah moments that every mother loves.  I was filling the tub for my youngest kids when I noticed that, unlike my daughter, I didn’t have to adjust the handle when filling the tub.  I seemed to know - from years of experience, I guess - just how far to turn the handle to get the water to the right temperature.  It occured to me that if I could somehow mark that “perfect” spot for my daughter, she’d be able to do the same.  I quickly grabbed a pink Sharpie from the junk drawer and, while the water was still running, marked the faucet handle.  I put one small stripe on the wall fixture and another in the same location on the handle (click on the picture above to get a closer view).  When the stripes are aligned, the water coming from the faucet is a perfect kid-friendly temp.

So far, the results have been great.  Now when my daughter needs to start her own bath or shower she just lines up the pink stripes, waits for the temperature to regulate, and then hops in.  It also came in handy today with my little five-year-old.  I started the tub for her and then went to clean the kitchen while she hopped in.  Apparently she bumped the handle during her entry because within a few minutes she was screaming about the “super-cold water” that was pouring out of the faucet.  In the past I would have had to drop whatever I was doing and go fix it for her…but not this time.  I just reminded her about the pink shower stripes and told her to make them touch.  She adjusted the handle all by herself and was happy as a clam in her warm, bubbly bath. 

If marking up your fixtures with permanent marker makes you nervous, try a bright shade of nail polish instead - just create little dots instead of lines.  That way if you ever need to remove or adjust the marks a little nail polish remover should do the trick.  It’s not a revolutionary idea, but when it comes to managing the everyday motherhood obstacles, every little bit helps. :)  Just thought I’d pass it on. 

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I dread cleaning bathrooms.  I hate the germy gunk, the smelly chemicals, and the overall time commitment.  One area I particularly loathe is my shower.  For the last several years I’ve had a shower with sliding glass doors.  You know, those lovely glass doors that start out looking so bright and clear and slowly morph into cloudy, soap scum-covered eye sores?  Well, I hate cleaning them.  To begin with, it seems to take a lot of product to break through the soap scum.  On top of that, in order to get to the pesky scum you have to be willing to climb into the shower, close the doors, ruin whatever clothes you’re wearing, and inhale toxic fumes.  And to top it all off, no matter how hard you try, you can’t ever get to the pesky three inches of glass where the sliding doors overlap.

I’ve wrestled with my shower frustration for years now.  Then last week a simple solution to my years of shower hatred hit me right in the face…literally.  As I was scouring the scum-covered door, one of the glass panels popped out of its track and fell into the shower.  I thought about putting it back on and then realized that the door would be much easier to clean if I left it off the track.  Within ten minutes I had popped both panels off their track, cleaned both sides of the stubborn glass, and popped them back into place.  As a bonus, while the shower doors were off the track drying, I was able to step into the shower and scrub the walls and floor.  It was so much easier to get to all those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies now that the doors weren’t in the way.  At last, I’d found an easy and effective way to get my shower clean. 

Of course, immediately after figuring this out, I was kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner.  I bet most of you figured it years ago.  In fact, I bet you guys have tons of great tips for a lack-luster house-cleaner like me.  So for today’s ‘Talk To Me Tuesday’ post, I’m asking for you for your favorite cleaning tips.  Are there cleaning products or tools that you can’t live without?  Have you found any tips or tricks that make your cleaning process easier or faster?  If so, I hope you’ll share it with the rest of us.  I can’t wait to hear what you come up with.  As always, for those of you that comment, thanks - in advance - for passing it on.

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Sometimes it seems like my kids spend half the summer in their bathing suits.  Between weekends at the lake, trips to the pool, and afternoons jumping through sprinklers in the backyard, my kids enjoy more than their fair share of water fun. 

Of course, the downside to all this aquatic activity is the piles of soggy suits I find all over the house.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve found a sopping wet suit in the back corner of a closet or in a heap on the bathroom floor.  Not to mention the time I’ve wasted hunting for misplaced suits when we’re trying to get out the door.  I needed a simple solution that would protect my floors from the drips and teach my kids a little responsibility at the same time.

Thankfully, an easy solution was only a few dollars away.  First, I purchased some inexpensive but sturdy suction cup hooks from Wal-Mart ($2.50 for 2 hooks).  Next, I placed the hooks on the shower wall in the kid’s bathroom; one hook for each child.  I wanted the hooks to be accessible for all of the kids, so I positioned them fairly low on the shower wall. 

The results have been fabulous.  Now, when we come home from a day of summer splashing, the kids know right where to hang their suits.  Better yet, they also know just where to look when it’s time to suit up again.  Friday’s my day to wash the linens (see Mom Game Plan post), so on that day I simply add the swimming suits to my towel load and throw them in the wash.  When I’m restocking the linen closet later that day, I just toss the suits back onto their hooks. 

I know it’s not a particularly creative solution, but it works…and it costs less than $5.  It’s tough to beat that.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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