Check Your Privacy & Modesty At The Door

Part of the joy of having toddlers running around the house is the total loss of modesty and privacy, for everyone. I cannot tell you how many times I am “busted in on” when I’m in the bathroom. Tess is four and has no qualms about throwing open a closed bathroom door. It doesn’t matter who is in the hall behind her or who is in the bathroom or what they’re doing. The whole family has gotten good about locking the bathroom door. If the door isn’t locked, you can hear the shout, “Hey, I’m in here! Get out and wait your turn!” Followed by Tess hollering, “I have ta go potty now!” Her little fists banging on the door can be surprisingly loud.
When you sign up to be a parent, nobody tells you that you have to check your privacy as well as your sanity at the door. Uninterrupted private bathroom time is a long forgotten privilege. I remember the days of long hot baths with fancy oils and reading in the tub. Now I’m lucky to have enough time to shave both legs on the same day. I have to take rushed showers with the door-cracked open (someone always has to go when I’m in the shower and that someone usually forgets the door open when she leaves.) My long hot baths with a good book evolve into a party. Tess senses my solitude and feels compelled to join in on my alone time. “Mommy, are those bubbles? It smells nice in here, like flowers. Why does is smell good? How did you make it smell so good? What are you doing? Is the water hot? Are you reading? What ya reading? Why are you frowning? What do you mean go play someplace? Where should I go to play? Why do you want me to go play in my room? It sure is hot in here, why is it so hot? I’ll open the door to cool it off. Hey guys, mommy is in the tub and it smells pretty in here. Come and smell it! But mommy, I don’t want to close the door; it’s too hot in here. Daddy will give me a cookie? Ok, I’ll go tell him you said I could hava cookie. Hey guys, we can have cookies!”
Never mind the long hot bath, alone time is over rated. Maybe later tonight after the kids are in bed I’ll have privacy and I can soak in the tub— alone. Until then I’ll walk around with one shaved leg and dream of the day when I can bathe when I want to, not when I have a spare moment.