Poop in the tub

I was lucky with Ivy- she never pooped in the tub. Ever. The possibility of it never even crossed my mind.

I was not so lucky the second time around. Story is a serial tub pooper.

Story loves to take a bath. She pooped in the tub for the first time at 6 months and has managed a bowel movement during her bath about once a month since then until her recent potty training.

When she has pooped in the tub in the past, I have been left with a huge dilemma- what to do? Do I scoop it out and continue with the bath? Is the water actually tainted? How long would the poop have to be in there before it actually dispersed poop-germs throughout the water? Should I clean the tub afterwards?

Here's the major conflict- I am super cheap and running an entire bathtub of water for the second time in one evening would bother me immensely. BUT, I am also an anti-germ OCD kind of person. It also bothers me to think of microscopic poop all over the tub. And the toys. And the kids.

If I get the kids out of the tub, then they sit in the bathroom crying about how cold and wet they are while I empty the tub and scrub it down, pull out the toys to run over with antibacterial wipes, rinse, and refill the tub. by the time I am done, they are probably running around the house getting microscopic poop germs on everything. Plus, I am going to have to get them new towels because of the microscopic poop germs....and new towels mean the old ones need washed which is even more water...

But, if I scoop it out quickly and flush it, and continue to bathe the kids, all I can think is that they are covered in poop. And the tub is covered in poop. I will hesitate to touch them, and then when I comb their hair, I am getting poop in the comb. And on everything they touch- their sheets, toys, clothes, dishes, sippy cups, the couch...the list goes on and on. If I don't clean the tub after, I will keep spreading feces for much longer than just one evening. But, I will have saved money.

So, what wins? Money or germs?

That being said, potty training Story was the best. idea. ever.