In our house glasses and water bottles are only claimed while in use - a trip through the dishwasher erases any claims. And even that is only strictly enforced when someone is actually ill.

I suppose I did let one kid 'claim' a nozzle recently, but only because the other kid had broken theirs, and that 'claim' would only last until a replacement was available.

I would not entertain this at all. Do not even engage. If they bring it up again, help them determine the cost of a new one and how they could earn that money. If they can't do that, and don't want to drink from the nozzle, let them know that they can unscrew it and drink from the container like a cup. if they continue complaining about this non issue I think it would be best to just directly let them know you will not discuss it again. Repeat as necessary, I think they will drop it quickly and it likely became an issue because their grandma chimed in.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Exactly. MY mother (who is over for the week from out of town) supported their decision when they complained at breakfast before heading out camp! She had to pipe in saying that as they get older, we should no longer treat them as kids and force them to share things! What??!!

HAHAHAHA. The stated and written policy of our household is that everything (save special things that are not basic infrastructure needs) is SHARED. Books are SHARED. Dishes SHARED. Tools SHARED. Chores are SHARED. If you want your own books, dishes, tools and chores, you do that when you move out and set your own boundaries.

Or rather, all things that mom and dad purchase belong to mom and dad, who generously share them with you.

None of this "my unique stupid thing that costs $ and that I can't keep track of." I don't have time for that bullsh!t.

I have two tweens and this is a definitely a phase. Its not at all about water bottles. It is about exerting control over their own decisions.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Exactly. MY mother (who is over for the week from out of town) supported their decision when they complained at breakfast before heading out camp! She had to pipe in saying that as they get older, we should no longer treat them as kids and force them to share things! What??!!

So adults don't ever share things in your mom's world? That's a really weird philosophy.

Is your mom trying to stir things up so you have a rough time with 2 girls in their tweens?!!?

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Exactly. MY mother (who is over for the week from out of town) supported their decision when they complained at breakfast before heading out camp! She had to pipe in saying that as they get older, we should no longer treat them as kids and force them to share things! What??!!

That is ridiculous. My two daughters don't even have their own socks. All socks for both girls go in one drawer and they belong to both. Your daughters are being spoiled and it would not fly in my house. They can hand wash the nozzles if it's that much of a problem, but those would be the only water bottles they'd get.

Well then tell them (and your busybody mother!) that you are staying out of it. Have them buy new nozzles with their own money (I guess they will have to just dehydrate until they arrive!) and then they will have to handwash them themselves each day to make sure they don't get mixed up. They are plenty old enough. If they are old enough to worry about each other's germs, they are old enough to worry about their own and the importance of keeping theirs clean.

Anonymous wrote:Um, no. And actually, while I don't and would never label to make sure my kids were not using each other's, we use Camelbak kids bottles and I have a girl and a boy and the girl bottles tend to have purple and pink bite-valves and the ones with the boys cups tend to be green and blue. I regularly assemble them with whatever bite valve I have and DS has never complained if his sister's pink bite valve is in his blue dinosaur cup and vice versa. They eat off the same plates and utensils and drink out of the same cups all the time.

Us too. It's just never been acceptable to be picky so its always been pretty easy.

Um, no. And actually, while I don't and would never label to make sure my kids were not using each other's, we use Camelbak kids bottles and I have a girl and a boy and the girl bottles tend to have purple and pink bite-valves and the ones with the boys cups tend to be green and blue. I regularly assemble them with whatever bite valve I have and DS has never complained if his sister's pink bite valve is in his blue dinosaur cup and vice versa. They eat off the same plates and utensils and drink out of the same cups all the time.

No, I don't keep track of nozzles and such. They mix and match and never had a princess moment with my two girls over it. I sometimes can't find one or the other's undies or socks too and change those around at will. Life is too short to worry about this stuff. It sounds like something my toddlers would tantrum about though.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Exactly. MY mother (who is over for the week from out of town) supported their decision when they complained at breakfast before heading out camp! She had to pipe in saying that as they get older, we should no longer treat them as kids and force them to share things! What??!!

OP, do not let this eat you up! Agree with her! "Yep, she's right, you are getting older and if you want something "extra" then we'll have to find a way for you to earn the money to pay for it."

You're going to get some housework done, they're going to get some money to buy new bottles, and they're going to learn a valuable lesson about the value of things when they have to pay for them themselves.

Check! No angst needed!

Op here. Exactly. MY mother (who is over for the week from out of town) supported their decision when they complained at breakfast before heading out camp! She had to pipe in saying that as they get older, we should no longer treat them as kids and force them to share things! What??!!

LOL, they could "decide" all they want, I'd be happy to point them in the direction of some hard manual labor I needed done to earn the money to replace them... yard work, cleaning baseboards, detail cleaning things with toothbrushes. I've got plenty of work for you to earn the money, kiddos!

And no, we don't worry about them getting mixed up. Just like we all use the same plastic tumblers after they've gone through the dishwasher.

But if they want to worry about it, they can pay for it -- and they'll probably find their own way to tell them apart in the future.

just a rant. My DDs (11 and 9) suddenly decided they want new water bottles and not use their perfectly good old ones because the nozzles Have been mixed up. They are klean kanteens and both look the same and apart from the bottle itself which are labelled with their names, the nozzle parts go into the dishwasher and are often mixed up. How and why they decided today that it is not alright is just crazy. Arrgh. Do you guys all label both the nozzle and the bottles and fear things used within the family?