The Ever-Shining Bathroom

There is a law of physics I never learned in school.

1 tiny bathroom + 4 kids = perpetual mess

Our one tiny bathroom in our small townhome is plagued by overuse. You may have more space or fewer children, but chances are you find toothpaste squeezed onto the counter, hairbrushes lying around, or *gasp* the toilet seat up. To keep it clean the children each have a responsibility to clean a portion- everyday (Sundays excepted). My 8 year old cleans one wall of the shower each day and half of the bathroom floor. He keeps track of what he's cleaned and rotates so that each wall gets cleaned twice a week. As silly as it seems, the simple matter of letting him decide which wall he is going to clean gives him ownership over the job. My six year old cleans the sink and shines the mirror and the faucets daily. My three year old scrubs the toilet bowl. I keep the toilet scrub brush immersed in cleaner so she just pulls it out and swishes it around the toilet bowl. I am working on teaching her to clean the rest of the toilet. Now, without any daily struggles, we have an ever shining bathroom.