Need some advice.

About a month ago, I guess, I was having issues with the four youngest using the restroom in their bedrooms despite the bathroom being less than 5 feet away from each of their rooms. I believe it was Torina who suggested the buckets which have worked. In fact, they worked so well, the kids decided they wanted to use them for the most part. I wasn't too happy with that but at least it wasn't the carpet, the mattresses or the walls. We thought if we made them responsible for emptying and cleaning their buckets it would get old. So far, not so.

Then tonight, I hear CDQ asking to empty her bucket. I'm peeved about it because why in the hell do they just not go to the toilet? That room is RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the bathroom. So, I go to ask yet again, why they can't just go in the toilet. But I find CDQ huddled in the corner behind a dresser with the bucket and Poufy sitting with her cover on watching.

I didn't know that CDQ had the bucket. I thought maybe she had stolen something and was hiding/hoarding it.

I asked her what it was. She said nothing, then Poufy said CDQ put water in the bucket to drink it.

I couldn't speak.

CDQ started accusing Poufy of "making" her do it. But I don't think Poufy was into doing that from the look on her face when I entered the room. In fact I can safely say that tonight it was NOT Poufy's plan to do that.

When I was finally able to regain my speech, I told CDQ I knew she was lying so she just confirmed it with the fake crying and starting to go into meltdown mode. She told me the boy and SS were doing it too. I basically raced across to the other room and asked them where they denied it with the appropriate amount of disgust.

Thank God.

They told me that CDQ had done it yesterday.

I'm surprised she's not sick. I'm at a loss. We tried giving them water bottles in their rooms so they could have water whenever they needed or wanted, but that backfired. They used it as a means to use the restroom everywhere in their rooms and to be out stealing. So then we let them have it only during the day in their rooms, taking them away an hour before bedtime. But I caught one of the kids squirting the water from the water bottle up into her private and the others seem to think it was there so they can have water fights or to soak the carpet, pillow, mattress, etc... So we took water bottles away from them and keep them on the table allowing them to get a drink every hour or when ever they ask. We just supervise them to make sure they aren't stealing. Which is the same thing with the bathroom, but they say they don't have to go because they've been using the buckets.

I don't know what to do. I've been busy preparing for the Girl Scout ceremony, not feeling so great and my husband has been having health issues so we slipped up some this week. I guess it wouldn't have happened if I had been there quicker. I can only think that the bucket did not need to be emptied and that's how she was able to fill it and return it so quickly. Hubs told her she could empty it, I was turning off the iron and I was already half way down the hall when I heard her calling through the intercom if she could come hug hubs goodnight. That must have been a cover up and I thought it was odd and remarked about it as I passed Hubs on the way to their room.

I've thought about telling them I want them to use the buckets and see if the ODD will kick in and they won't want to use it anymore. I'm afraid of what I am going to find in their room tomorrow.

The other thing, Poufy was doing great. So great, I mentioned to Hubs not Poufy that I thought maybe we should put her in Girl Scouts again. I think this triggered her to regress. I don't understand it because she WANTS this. So, I'm trying to figure out do I just put her in it and see how it goes or by her doing this does it mean she's not ready to go back to Girl Scouts?

I just don't know what to do or what I did wrong or anything anymore I guess.

I did explain to all of them like they were 2 and maybe didn't know that it was not an appropriate thing to do. Using the bucket or drinking from it. I told them it was for strict emergencies (maybe that was my mistake?). I told them they could get really sick and die from drinking that stuff. Which I've explained to them when they contaminated the dogs water like two weeks ago. I told them it was the same thing. NO one should drink or eat that.

Help... please. Advice? I'm trying to understand but finding it VERY hard.