How Melissa and Tammy Etheridge deal with pooping in the tub

Tammy Etheridge, mom to twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 14 months, with her wife, rocker Melissa Etheridge,46, occasionally writes about motherhood on her blog. In a recent entry from late December,the 33-year-old actress discusses those interesting floaters that sometimes appear during bathtime, Christmas gifts, and more.

They like to poop in the tub, which is slowly getting to put a damper on bath time. Three times in the last five days. Inevitably, they get in the tub, and are splish-splashing…. when suddenly we will hear a little grunt, a whimper, and then a little face will pop over the tub.

If it’s Miller — his face will be full of jest and screeching joy…If it’s Johnnie Rose, she seems to understand pooping in the tub isn’t the long-run goal, and she gets sad.

Either way, though, we figured out the first time, that regardless of anyone’s feelings about the floating poop — get them BOTH out immediately. Because if you just lift out the pooper, the other twin is left with a very interesting, floating new "toy" — which they will reach for and try to "smoosh" immediately.

So bath time has a new ritual: when someone poops, I grab the pooper, and praise them and dangle them over a sink (it’s important to praise the pooping, as I don’t want the poopers to get pooping anxiety)…. and Honey [Melissa] catches the poop.

She’s such a great poop catcher — she doesn’t even flinch. In fact, she said she takes the chance to get a good look at the poop — "It’s important for a mother to have a good understanding of her child’s poop. Poop is related directly to health." Yeah. Well. She can be the poop/rock star mom. I’ll be the vacuuming/laundry mom.

And they’ve been walking for months now. MONTHS. They’re only 14 months old. People see them run around the mall, and freak out, thinking they are little robots or dolls. Yeah, I tell ‘em. They’re those new "I Poop Like A Real Baby" dolls.

Click below for Tammy’s view on Christmas presents and how time has slowed down since she’s become a mother.

I’m not buying a lot of toys for the babies’ holiday — I refuse toteach my children that once a year, in the name of a thousand-year oldmyth, we will bury them with toys and goodies that they won’t careabout anyway. They just want wooden spoons, a little pot with a lid,and some Cheerios to "stir."

They are very fond of mops, vacuums, and dusting with a rag. It’scute, but with two "helpers," my chores have expanded to being aone-hour chore, instead of a quick 15 minute clean up. But I’d havedied to have ONE "little mommy’s helper" a couple of years ago, sosuddenly, my time is no longer as important.

My time has become their time…and their time has become myeducation. I am being educated in living in the moment, loving eachbreath, laughing at the mistakes and pratfalls of life, and cheeringthem on until they can get up themselves. what valuable lessons tolearn from such angelic creatures.

Source: Tammy’s blog

Thanks to CBB reader Lisa.

Comments

I don’t envy Melissa one bit. Better her than me, that’s all I’ll say. But the kids sound adorable and extremely busy, giving their mommies a run for all their money…

- FC on January 5th, 2008

That…bothers me a lot. They shouldn’t tolerate that…they should firmly tell the kids not to do it, because if you don’t correct them now, they’ll never learn that it’s so highly unsanitary!

Kudos to them for being good sports about it though.

- Blu on January 6th, 2008

Children pooping in the tub is interesting because…?

Meanwhile, if someone where to blog at length about their cat’s litter box habits, they would be labeled insane.

Kids are cute and so are cats, but come on, there is a limit.

- Stef on January 6th, 2008

Seriously Blu? They’re 14 month old babies…

Anyway, my son has done it twice, and I find it disgusting, but at least Tammy and Melissa can get some humor out of it.

- Pam on January 6th, 2008

Blu, the kids are 14 months old, not 4. They wouldn’t understand being “firmly told not to do it”. Not at their age.

- Noelle on January 6th, 2008

That’s hilarious…makes me love them even more!

And also, kudo’s to you for refering to Melissa as Tammy’s wife. Every where else usually says “lover” or “life partner” That’s all I’ll say about it. But thumbs up. And since it’ll probably spark a debate, you don’t have to post this comment…

- Mary on January 6th, 2008

i agree with Blu, I mean…it’s ok if it happens once, but she said that happened 3 times in 5 days….14 months old babies already understand, of course you don’t have to get mad at them but maybe don’t take that situation as funny, because they can think it’s a game…I think that is really important to teach your babies what is right and what is wrong since they are old enough to understand. Maybe it will happen again, but if she continues to talk to them and put a serious face while explaining, they can understand that poop in the tub is not a funny thing.
Just my opinion…
Anyway, fortunately that never happened with my child

- sil on January 6th, 2008

I wouldn’t praise them for it, although I understand her reason for it, it will make them less likely to stop doing it.

Also, I have a question. I always hear that it is not possible for gay and lesbian couple to marry in the US. But now the article refers to them as a married couple. So it is possible for lesbian couples to marry in the US?

Sarah’s note: Yes, they can marry in Massachusetts. In a four other states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey), civil unions are recognized. Melissa and Tammy had a wedding ceremony and refer to each other as wife, so even though it may not be legally recognized, that’s how we will refer to them as well.

- Sarita on January 6th, 2008

Aw, I like this couple.

- Stacey on January 6th, 2008

It’s obvious Tammy has a heart of gold that is full of love for her little ones. Every word she wrote was filled with love for her little ones.. What a great mom!

As for the poop — Eh, kids will be kids. At least they look at it with humor.

- Lola on January 6th, 2008

I think they seem like fabulous, mindful parents. Yes, pooping in the tub is disgusting, but it’s a phase. Maybe by handling it with patience and not being overly critical, they’re drawing less attention to the behavior. Tammy seems like she was born to be a mom.

- angela on January 6th, 2008

Yes, props to them for finding humor in it. But praising them for pooing in the tub? It sounds a little Freudian…I’ve never heard of being corrected for pooping in the tub causing pooping anxiety. Does it? And Pam, I agree with you, they are still babies to be getting corrected. I guess I just don’t see the need to praise them, either. I’d think that would be more confusing for them later on, when the behavior ought to stop.

- M on January 6th, 2008

Why tell the world about it? It’s not cute, it’s not even funny. It’s just one of those things that are going to embarrass the kids one day. Things said on the internet never really goes away.

- Hea on January 6th, 2008

Blu, they are 14 months old! It’s a fact that children cannot control their impulses, let alone their bowels, at that age.

What bothers me isn’t the twins did it, it’s that their parents are describing it in such details for all the world to read.

- Nicole on January 6th, 2008

Love this family. Maybe TMI … however, for any of you who are parents, you certainly understand the desire to talk about things you NEVER thought you would talk about it! On a side note – I LOVE the name Johnnie Rose.

- brannon on January 6th, 2008

AHH!!! Poop in the tub! My biggest fear! Both of my kids have done that…. remove child and poop and bathwater… bath is done!

- Liza on January 6th, 2008

Thanks for your answer Sarah!

- Sarita on January 6th, 2008

TMI, Tammy! and by the way, this “myth” you’re referring to, would it be the one that’s TWO thousand years old? Way to teach religious tolerance to your kids. Not cool, sorry.

- daphneesmith on January 6th, 2008

That’s funny! Poop in the tub is so gross…I had baggies on my hands to try to catch it. It seems weird to see them as both “wives”. Maybe they could be called each other’s spouse?

- Carol on January 6th, 2008

Daphnee – one or two thousand years, makes no difference. You can teach religious tolerance without having to actually actively subscribe to any part of any religion. You can tell your kids “this is what other people believe in, and that’s their right, but it’s not what we believe in, so we aren’t going to do this”. Perfectly cool, actually.

- taryn on January 6th, 2008

Daphnee – The myth she’s referring to is of Santa and buying your children loads of presents not about the birth of Christ.

Babies poop in the tub. It happens. They’re just 14 months old. Everyone needs to relax. As for putting it all out there on the internet, I think it’s in poor taste.

- Meaghan on January 6th, 2008

pooping in the tub is no big deal, actually when your little one is constipated putting them in a warm tub is a great way to help them poop. a 14 month old doesnt have the ability to control their bms yet so the idea of fussing at them would be pointless. she should take both kids out of the tub and wash the tub and then re-bathe them when it happens though

- Amy W on January 6th, 2008

Regardless of how humankind defines who can be married to whom, if we all want to be frankly honest, we know that only a man could be married to a woman. No matter what kind of laws are passed to attempt to change it. Oh.. and I’m really intrigued to learn about Tammy’s sources regarding the supposed mythical nature of Christmas. Has she read the Bible, as well as the myriad of commentaries written by Christians and non-Christians alike who, irrespective of their individual faith, accepted the biblical account of events as historical and accurate? Does she know, for instance, that of all the ancient books–including Homer and Ulysees–the Bible is the only book with thousands of original manuscripts dated back from the times when the words themselves were first penned?
If there is a myth going on in our society, it is one that labels a woman’s “marriage” to another woman as being perfectly sane, acceptable, and normal.

- Audrey on January 7th, 2008

Poop happens.

Unless a child is potty trained they’re going to go whenever and where ever they want. I don’t see how you could “correct” this problem when the child is still going in diapers. I doubt these 14-month old babies are saving it up and waiting until they get in the bathtub. Like a previous poster said, it most likely has to do with the warm water.

- smm on January 7th, 2008

What’s so embarassing about it? They’re babies. As if anyone is going to be reading this ten years from now and thinking it’s something shameful!

- terri on January 7th, 2008

Amy W I agree with you. When my daughter was about 10 months if she was constipated I would fill up the bath tub with warm water, and for some reason it would help her. My daughter will be four Jan 30th and I still use the same method. It works rather than using a fleet on a child.

- Precious on January 7th, 2008

>>Daphnee – The myth she’s referring to is of Santa and buying your children loads of presents not about the birth of Christ< <
Except that the idea of Santa + gifts has not been around for a thousand years. Not even close. So I don’t know what she’s referring to, but I stand by my hope that they would be more conscientious about religious tolerance. Calling a belief a “myth” sounds very disrespectful to me; if she were referring to a minority religion there would be more people up in arms about it. JMHO.

- daphneesmith on January 7th, 2008

If she is referring to Christianity as a myth, that’s her right. If she doesn’t believe it, it IS a myth to her. The ancient belief system of the Greeks and Romans is referred to as mythology. Same is true for all old religious stories we no longer believe. So for her, Christianity may be a myth.

Anyway, why focus on her word choice or what she chooses to teach her children? Criticizing her for teaching her kids NOT to believe in God would be the same as criticizing someone for teaching their kids TO believe.

- Kristin on January 8th, 2008