My mom tells a story that, back in her youth, my uncle somehow fell into the outhouse (he was pulled out and cleaned up, much to my mother’s relief at the time), so they were perhaps worried about the wrong thing.
Wow. There’s some serious puritanical American prudishness bullshit showing in this thread. It’s completely baffling to me. Take the kid into the bathroom and show her what it’s for and how it operates. What the fuck is the problem with that? If she wants to use it, go right ahead. That’s what it’s the fuck for!
What the fuck is wrong with some of you? 
Exactly.
I am a parent, and if for some reason I didn’t trust you to tell the Sprout what a bidet is, I would definitely not trust you to babysit. (A babysitter better be able to talk about pooping. Either in case an accident happens (possible even at eight years), or to help prevent one).
Filmore, if you changed babysitters over this, how would you explain that to your kid? I can’t imagine a way in which that would be a healthy conversation, but maybe you’ll surprise me.
Ah, it’s, um, not such a threatening place as suggested by filmore. I think he’s just having a hard time distinguishing between a baby sitter and Rando, the washroom guy.
This. FFS this is an eye-opening thread.
I can’t even figure out what is acceptable to filmore - he doesn’t want anyone talking to kids about bodily functions other than him or his wife. I can understand that , to a point. But if “potential grooming behavior” includes the babysitter explaining that a bidet is used for cleaning up after using the toilet, then I expect filmore has gone far behind the point that is reasonable, and would object to a doctor asking questions about body functions or a teacher explaining menstruation when his daughter get her period unexpectedly young , before her mother has explained things to her. And if even saying " It’s a bidet, ask your parents what it’s used for" is too much, then I guess the only acceptable thing is for the babysitter not to have anything **filmore’**s kid might ask about.
Add me to those baffled why there needs to be some sort of formal introduction between the kid and a new home appliance.
If it were me, I wouldn’t mention any changes to the bathroom unless the kid, as kids do, said something like “what’s that?” And if the kid did, I’d respond with, “It’s a bidet. Popular in Europe. It squirts water to help you clean after you go the bathroom. It’s not a water fountain.” We’d probably laugh at the last part.
I don’t think that any of that is beyond the capacity of a kid.
This is weirdly paranoid.
I’m thoroughly confused as well. Even a 3-year-old could understand it. It’s a thing to clean your butt. There’s nothing “naughty” or intriguing about it, and it wouldn’t even occur to me to talk to the 8-year-old’s parents about it. I would just tell her it’s a butt washer. (ETA: And, yes, I am a parent to two kids under that age, and I would have no issue somebody explaining to them what a bidet is.)
Just print out instructions and tape it to the wall or set it on the toilet lid. No other communication needed.
Everybody Poops
:rolleyes:
New REM song.
Why would you be worried because the home now has a bidet? Is it the phrase “butthole washer” that causes you concerns? I don’t think that was intended to be serious.
Bidets are very uncommon in the UK too, but I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit worried about my child having a childminder that had one. Most childcarers do have to talk to the kids they’re looking after about bodily functions sometimes - it’s part of the job.
I suppose it would be a good idea to let the parents know that the toilet now has a bidet attachment, and though you’re not going to especially encourage her to use it, she might decide to at some point, since she’s eight and capable of going to the bathroom by herself.
At 8-years-old, I’m guessing the kid’s reaction to a bidet is going to be Beavis & Butthead style giggling.
(Good god, at that age, didn’t most of us laugh with our friends over bodily functions and the like?)
I think filmore is way off base, but in fairness, a kid is way more likely to be hurt or molested by someone their parents left them in the care of than by “Rando, the washroom guy.” As a parent, I am vigilant about people who make me or my kid uncomfortable, and I keep my eyes open, and have very open communication with my kids. I’m not concerned about appropriate talk about bodily functions, but I might be concerned about a conversation about clothing, or a seemingly innocent game that involved ignoring the kid’s protests.
If my wife or I were babysitting your kid I would hope that you would quickly find a replacement. Too much liability to deal with parents who freak out about having a bidet in their house or are terrified of someone saying the word “bathroom” to children. Were I explaining a bidet to a child, I’d say that some people use them to wash themselves after going to the bathroom and I’d welcome the paernts to to fire us.
The whole point about teaching teaching between “good touching” and “bad touching” is that not all touching is bad.
A one time explanation about a toilet is so far removed from pedo grooming that it’s silly.
Bidets or washlets as they are called in Japan are ubiquitous. Everyone has them which may be one reason I just see this as something silly. The last time I lived in a house without a bidet was 10 years ago and we have had ma
What, did you drown in the bidet?
tap tap
Dude?
I was just about to skip to the end and post that this is the most uniquely American thread I’ve encountered in quite some time.
Well there’s your answer. Whenever the babysitee is coming over, you dismantle and hide the shameful device. Later you reinstall it. No-one need ever know what goes on in
the Homie home. Except us.
What is the fascination with my Forbidden Closet of Mystery?
