Friday, October 21, 2011

Bathroom Confessionals


As most of you know, I'm still pretty new to the Mom role – and having anyone other than me and my fur babies living under my roof. I've never lived with a boyfriend and barely had roommates in college. I'm kinda weird about my own space.

My office is full of 4 ladies – 2 of them who are personally good friends of mine and have been for quite some time. This leads to some interesting conversations over lunch. The other day, for some odd reason, we found ourselves discussing our personal bathroom etiquette.

My dear friend K admitted that even though she's been in a 3 year long relationship, she still hides the fact that she uses the restroom. She will wait until he is in the shower or asleep. Or when they travel, she will make excuses to go back to the room. I think we all know, without me having to be to awfully graphic, that we are not referring to going 'pee' in this post. I thought this was quite crazy – I mean, they've been together 3 years. We all have to use the restroom. However, it got me thinking.

I was raised in a very conservative, traditional home. Going to the bathroom and bodily functions were not something we discussed. I was never in the bathroom with my parents – whether they were using the restroom, showering, etc. I guess this has carried through to me – because it's not something I've ever felt comfortable discussing or doing with anyone else around (well, until blogging about it today).

David and his kids are the exact opposite. I've had to break them of 'potty talk' at the dinner table and they don't think twice about barging in while their Dad is in the bathroom. Our 10 year old finds it a great hoot to leave the door open while going 'Number 2' for all the house to witness. I find this very odd.

But upon further conversation with my girlfriends, I found out that they too have their kids in the bathroom with them – even the older ones and sometime still shower with the semi-younger ones! I had no clue. I don't have biological kids of my own, so I can't honestly say what I would or would not do – but both seem like a far stretch for this conservative girl.

I guess every person and every home is different. It's all about what you are personally comfortable with. I have yet to let David know what I'm doing in the bathroom. I guess I have always had this idea that there are some things that just should remain private. And you have to keep a little romance and mystery in a relationship. I won't even pee with the door open!

So, what are your thoughts? Are you a totally comfortable person or a private person? Do you think there are certain things you don't do/share with your spouse and kids – or is it wide open?

*Note – this isn't my normal type post. However, if you read my post from Wednesday, I'm trying some new things. And I figure, heck, if it's on my mind, I might as well write about it! It's a part of life, right?

Lots of Love...






3 comments:

  1. I am bathroom conservative. Mike and I have been together for five years (married for almost two) and we don't even pass gas around each other. That is an extreme thought to some of our friends, but I just can't do it.

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  2. i definitely did not grow up taking showers with my mom. she used to wait for me outside the shower but once she made sure i didn't slip while in or getting out, she'd leave me alone. most of the time she was in the bathroom with me was trying to force me to brush my teeth. on that note, at some point all bathroom etiiquette was thrown out the door with my mansy of six years. now i'm trying to gain some back - he's actually gotten really good at not barging in on me but the cats have somehow figured out that our bathroom door doesn't close very well so now they do it to me too!! :)

    i really like this post by the way and you are super brave + inspirational for having four kids and a man move in with you all at once haha. the same can probably be said for them too tho huh :)

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  3. I'm not the kind of person to run around and talk about farts or poop but I'm not uptight about it. I mean, we all do it. I don't believe in feeling shame or embarrassment about it, you know? I do think it's a private personal thing though.

    I think families with a few kids and in close age lose a lot of privacy. I mean, you can't just leave your walking toddler alone while you go to the bathroom or shower. And I don't think it's totally crazy to pop a few kids in the shower together as long as the kids don't feel odd about it. I'm sure it would be a big time saver.

    I guess I don't really have a point but it's interesting how other families work.

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