Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Squishing Toilet Paper


When my oldest was a toddler, I became quite adept at re-rolling a completely unrolled roll of toilet paper. I viewed it as a rite of passage and considered myself now fully entrenched in the mommy camp. After all, isn't that skill right at the top of every mom's "now I am officially a mother" list?

Well, that was then. Three kids later, I've learned that the ability to re-roll an unrolled roll of toilet paper in 30 seconds flat is one I could do without.

But the problem is, how do you keep kids from enjoying that swipe with wild abandon that sets a toilet paper roll spinning and unfurling ? Obviously you take away the joy of the act. When unrolling a roll of toilet paper takes 10 minutes instead of 10 seconds, it's lost its luster. Or at least it has for my kids.

And to do that, you just squish the roll of toilet paper before you hang it. (Place it on its side on a counter and press down firmly with your palm.) This flattens the cardboard roll just enough that unrolling it actually requires a little effort.

Maybe you're already doing this. I hope you are! But I'd like to think I'm not the only person out there who didn't know this little trick until I stumbled upon it quite by accident. So if it's new to you, give it a shot. I bet it will work for you too!

Stop by We Are THAT Family for more Works For Me Wednesday.

10 comments:

Elizabeth 10:56 PM  

Oooh thanks for the tip!! Not only for my kids... but my cat too :\

Becca 1:29 AM  

Oh that's just hilarious! I think they do that in public restrooms!!

Kirsten 6:37 AM  

LOL what a great tip!!

Amanda 7:32 AM  

I had never thought of that! My son is just turning one (tomorrow!) and he loves to get his hands on that toilet paper! I'll try this immediately. :)

Carrie Isaac 11:21 AM  

LOL, I needed this tip to help thwart my 1yo!

Cate 11:38 AM  

We don't do this yet (frankly, I find getting it off the roll annoying when the roll is squished...which I guess is the point!), but as our daughter gets older, I'm sure the toilet paper roll will become "fun"...at which point we'll be squishing that thing immediately!

Sandi 2:40 PM  

Thanks, I've been wondering what to do!

Mikki 10:18 PM  

I have to LOL while reading this and looking at the picture. My daughter used to do this when she was little. I never thought of squishing the roll.. great idea!

Jessie Weaver 10:36 AM  

Seriously--thanks for the tip!! This is one I battle already with Miss Trouble.

Anonymous,  11:27 PM  

...and if you want to 'work' the other way..

To fix a squished roll to roll evenly, take an old toilet paper insert, cut it lengthwise, and bevel the edges slightly. Put the old insert into the squished new roll, and Olay, a perfectly running roll of toilet paper.

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