About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
I always thought that men’s washrooms were the most disgusting places (and if you’ve ever been so desperate to go and have used a public men’s washroom, or even a co-ed public washroom, then you know what I mean). Last year, my daughter attended a co-ed school and they had separate washrooms for girls and boys. Even my daughter knew that boys were disgusting.
“You should see the boy's washroom,” she once told me. “The girl's washroom is so much cleaner.” But it turns out that what’s as disgusting as a men’s or boy’s washroom is a washroom at the junior section of an all-girl’s school. This is the washroom meant for grade fours and younger.
I was appalled when I had to pick up my daughter early from school recently and went to use the washroom. When I say there were ten stalls, and each and every toilet in these stalls hadn’t been flushed, I am not exaggerating. I know this because I looked in every stall. I told my daughter that we’re getting out of here ASAP. And we did. We used the teacher’s private washroom, located across the hall, which even had air freshener in it.
I have a theory about why young people don’t flush the toilet, even nice, sweet girls. I think because many places now have automated flush systems, they really do forget to flush the toilet. They just assume at school, like at a restaurant, the toilet will flush itself. Either that, or they are plain and simply forgetful about flushing. I thought about sending the school an email after saying they should post signs in every stall in the washroom saying, “Don’t forget to flush!”
But what definitely was flushed away was my belief that girls are less disgusting than boys when it comes to washrooms. And I don’t even want to think about who is washing their hands or not. Do you think girls are just as disgusting as boys when it comes to washroom habits? Do you have to remind your children to flush at home?
Follow me at @rebeccaeckler.
Image:jessicafm/Flickr
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