‘Help! My Son’s Friend Doesn’t Know How to Use the Bathroom.’

Dear Emily,

My 9-year-old son’s almost-8-year-old friend simply can’t use the bathroom properly. We have three bathrooms in our house, and if he comes over for a two-hour playdate, he inevitably finds a way to pee all over the toilet seats and all over the floors of all three bathrooms — and that’s to say nothing if he goes No. 2, which I’m happy to leave to your imagination. He’s been a friend of the family for a few years, and when he was 4 and even 5 years old, I was a bit more understanding of the situation. But I feel like if you’re in second grade, you should be able to aim into the toilet! At this point I’m considering making a house rule where if this kid needs to go when he’s at our house, he can only do so in the yard. Every option feels terrible, but I also feel like I shouldn’t need to schedule extra time to scrub the bathrooms every time he leaves. I feel like I should also add that I am in no way a clean freak, and my son’s not a prime specimen of bathroom hygiene or etiquette either, but the scenes this kid leaves almost need a special kind of house cleaner (or crime-scene specialist) to deal with. I wish I could ask his parents if this is something they deal with in their own bathrooms, but it feels weird and inappropriate. What do I do?

The 2025 SXSW festival won’t partner with the U.S. Army, which was a “super-sponsor” for the 2024 event. Paris Hilton testified before Congress about ​the childhood abuse​ she endured at troubled-youth facilities. Also today, President Biden pardoned LGBTQ+ service members who were convicted of a crime under military law based on their sexual orientation​. Two-time World Cup winner​ Alex Morgan won’t be headed to Paris with Team USA next month. Why pregnant people are more at risk during heat waves​, and ways to stay safe. Gen-Zers know the difference between ​r​eal news and AI-generated memes. They just don’t care. On the race to understand — and profit from — period blood. And win or lose, Melania will not be moving back into the White House.

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