Stella, I just need some privacy right now, okay?
I am in the bathroom, wanting to pee in privacy for just one minute. Thankfully, Stella acquiesces. Since being potty trained around 18 months, she has always liked her space in the bathroom. This means she also (usually) gives us our space when it’s requested. I’m now realizing that this is a rarity in the toddler world!
*****
Me: Stella, I need to go to the bathroom. Can you go out and shut the door, please?
Stella: Ya, okay Mommy. Are you sure you want the door shut? Or should i leave it open?
Me: I’d like it shut. Thank you, Stella.
Stella: Are you sure? Because I can stay right here if you want to squeeze my hands. [We offer this to her when she’s afraid of a big poop, poor kid.]
Me: Nope, that’s okay. Please just go out and shut the door.
Stella: Are you sure?
Me: [Big sigh] Yes, Stella. I’m sure. Please just go out. Can you take your brother with you?
Stella: No, Harvey misses you, Mommy. He wants to stay with you.
Me: Okay, fine. Please just go outside and shut the door.
Stella: Okay, Mommy. I’ll stay right outside the door in case you need me, okay?
Me: Okay. Thank you, Stella.
[Stella steps out and shuts the door. I can see the shadow of her feet just beyond the threshold of the door. What a sweet kid.]
— Meanwhile, Harvey is squealing at my feet, trying to dip his hands into the toilet water. #BoysAreGross
*****
Yep, I’ve given up on any kind of privacy in the bathroom…showers, sitting on the toilet, it’s all just another chance for the little ones to invade my space apparently.
Ha! I was just thinking the other day that this mommy no bathroom privacy is no joke. The entire time Ever is trying to open or shit the door asking if I want privacy and asking to come in, etc. She has zero desire to be potty trained herself. I have her sit on her potty before bath ad she says “psssss… All done!” Pops up jumps in the bathtub and pees in there. Sigh!
*shut the door 😉
Ah yes, this is all very familiar! Including the hand squeeze for poos. And, yes, boys are gross.
We have to work on X closing the door behind him. Especially at other people’s houses!
Yes to all of this!! I get zero privacy. Even when Hubby is home.
Im constantly feeling like I need to apologize to my mother for interrupting her in the bathroom as a kid.
Join the club 🙂
What is “peeing alone”??? I don’t know these words. I swear, they can hear my butt hitting the toilet seat and come RUNNING. I’d rather let them in then hear them WAILING outside the door. And if it isn’t them in there, it’s the goddamn dog looking at me. Sigh.
When my hubby is home, I sometimes try to outrun the kids to the bathroom so I can lock to door for a bit of privacy.
And yes, #BoysAreGross!
Sounds VERY familiar.
LOL! I haven’t had privacy in the bathroom in 3 1/2 years! Lol! I hear you sista!
And it’s not just boys, my Lucy is a toilet player! Yuck!!! We have to keep the toilet lids down or she is washing toys in there, throwing shampoos in there, and God forbid Lola doesn’t flush! 🙂
I think it’s pretty impressive that Stella gives you a sort of privacy even though she’s still supervising you 😉 E always says “give me some space!” (in general, not specific to bathroom time) but doesn’t understand when I say it back to her!
Sofia has outgrown the need to stay with me while I’m in the bathroom, but of course Andrea is all about it and comes speed crawling in whenever any of us are in there. I’ve just embraced it and now that Sofia is going to the bathroom by herself more often, I’ve taken to calling her in when *I* go so I can show her proper wiping technique. Filed under: Things I never thought I’d do, then I had kids…
This is so cute, it helped me see the cute in my own life when heretofore all I was noticing was the annoyance. It makes me kind of weepy to think my 2 yr old actually loves me that much that she wants to be with me in the bathroom–that she thinks I’m still super cool while on the toilet. It is such a sweet state of childhood when your kids don’t think anything about you is weird/gross enough to make them want to keep their distance.