I often like to sit in the bathtub and hide from the children. They always find me.
My 2-year-old son, X, is an avid sports fan. He loves football, basketball, hockey, even mixed martial arts (shhh, don’t tell my wife about that last one). But lately he’s taken up a new spectator sport – Daddy Baff.
Whenever I turn on the water in the shower, he darts into the bathroom and yells, “DADDY BAFF!” Bath time used to be a private activity until I became a dad. I’m all for spending time with my kids, but I’d rather do something that requires clothing. Having a little face stare at me through the Plexiglas is kind of creepy, especially when he starts chanting, “Daddy baff! Daddy baff!” and dancing.
To make things worse, he often grows tired of being a spectator and tries to join in the fun.
“Help Daddy baff,” he says as he opens the shower door and tries to step inside.
“No, thank you, buddy,” I say pushing him out. “Daddy doesn’t need any help.”
Although disappointed, he never presses any further. He simply occupies himself by singing “The Daddy Baff Song.”
When I’m done, he grabs my towel and opens the door for me.
“All done daddy baff?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say. “Daddy is all done with his bath. Thank you for your participation.” X waits until I wrap the towel around my waist and then marches out of the bathroom singing a few more bars of his song.
I’m just glad he never asks for an encore.
Stay Strong,
Question: Do your kids ever interrupt your private bathroom time?
Popularity: 19% [?]
Andrea Paetkau (110)
Cheryl (80)
Mari (59)
Bryan (38)
carma (38)
Kim (38)
Annonandon (37)
Fran Oriordan (37)
Nancy (36)
Natalie A. (34)
{ 21 comments }
Ah, MochaDad, I can relate all too well. And being a momma to two boys, I wonder how long it will be before it becomes very, very awkward.
Um, yeah. I think it’s in their contracts or something.
As the mother to two young boys, this can be…interesting. Especially when I have to start fielding the questions.
This is too funny!! You’ve got quite the eager baff helper there….My son is too old to interrupt my bathroom time; sadly, the same cannot be said for the husband
I don’t think there is a parent with young children who does not have this problem. Our lock was broken on the bathroom door for quite sometime and so my boys just got used to walking in while I was in the bathroom. It did not matter whether I was using the toilet or in the shower. Finally one day I had just had it and fixed the lock. The howls of injustice because I had the nerve to lock the bathroom door went on forever. They now stand outside the door and talk to me through the door the whole time I am in there. I want to know why it is that the moment I enter the bathroom, always happens to coincide with the exact moment that they need something.
To a child, whenever a door closes, it’s a sure sign that they must enter that room. Every. Single. Time.
I can’t remember the last time I got to use the bathroom without an audience… or questions… or requests… or a “you HAVE to hurry up and do it right this minute or else the world is going to end and we’re all gonna expire like right this second” demand. And that’s if I actually make it to the bathroom… it’s like they have a bathroom sensor or something—Mommy’s needs to go to the bathroom, hurry up! Ask her something!
I got about ten more years, then I’m all in the clear!
Yup. Since children entered my life, I have lost all privilege of being naked privately. From the day of Birth on, no one feels the need to allot me any privacy. Showers, bath, changing clothes or even using the toilet is somehow deemed a great time to hang out with Mom and chat. Maybe because it makes me a captive audience.
heheh. At least he leaves you your towel. My four-year-old likes to run off with it. I tried shutting the door when she was younger but then I’d see those tiny fingers coming from under the door. LOL.
Some days when my son won’t nap I have no other option but to lock him in the bathroom with me so I can actually take a shower. It is definitely not my favorite thing, but fortunately he usually gets entertained spinning the toilet paper holder (I have to remove the actual paper, lest it get deposited on the ground).
My kids are constantly in and out of my bedroom making private time non-existent. Luckily, they think my body is gross and run if the suspect that I’m naked.
My 4 year old used to always ask why did I have that thing in my private area. Oh what fun.
I think a better question would be, “Do your kids ever NOT interrupt your bathroom time?” (To which the answer would be, sadly, no.)
My son has decided that my shower is a spectator sport as well. Of course, I make it worse on myself by goofing with him by flinging water at his face through the shower door, or tossing my exfoliating cloth (don’t judge – at least it’s not a louffa) at him so it splats on the glass and startles him.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my I needed this laugh right now. I am really worked up from doing some tough love with my teen, and this really helped me to smile!!
Being the only female in the house with a grown man and 12, 5, and almost 2 year old boys….you’d think I’d get some private time.
No.
My 5 and almost 2 year old march in on my baths, my toilet time, my hair fixin’ time. Soon enough I’ll utilize the lock but paranoia keeps me from locking myself in the bathroom. What if the doorknob falls off and my almost 2 year fell down the stairs while I was peeing? I can’t be trapped in the bathroom!!!
I was searching for how to fix a “broken bathroom door lock” and I got this page. I could tell it wasn’t what I wanted but it looked funny so I clicked anyway. Worth the time. I have a 2 year old son. He isn’t too bad but everyone once in awhile he comes in while I am going potty. He stays away from the shower knowing I will grab him and make him take a shower too if he gets too close. He hates showers. If it isn’t a bath, it is the end of the world. On a plus, I am always congratulated after each potty with a, “good job dada! high five!” If it will be half as easy to impress him in 10 years, I will be a lucky dada.
hahaha
—-
Having a little face stare at me through the Plexiglas is kind of creepy, especially when he starts chanting, “Daddy baff! Daddy baff!” and dancing.
My daughter is 2, and we’re not quite at this point, yet. For some reason I’ve been rather self-conscience about being naked in front of her – don’t want to scar her for life or anything like that. When she was very young I would take a bath with her – both of us naked. Once she reached about 9 months, I started wearing bathing suit trunks in the bath with her. I took a break from the co-bathing for a while, but after a recent dip in the tub with her (in bathing suit), show now wants me to come in every time.
This post made me laugh! But oh, so true. I have six children and truly cannot remember a time when I had privacy. I’m with Tooj, who also commented about paranoia. I’m afraid that if I go to the bathroom or shower that my three year old or 15 month old are somehow going to fall down the stairs or find a pair of scissors and hurt themselves and I wouldn’t even know. I lock mine in the bathroom with me.
Funny stuff. Kids end up remembering learning how to shower when they grow up. It is never not awkward. Just remember to teach them to conserve water!
Bryan
Seeing Cuba Gooding Jr. and his son in the bath in “Jerry McGuire” reminded me of when my Dad and I used to take baths together. I was around 4 at the time and I recall it as being a very special bonding time together. I dont know how that would go over today (this was the late ’50′s). I had a daughter so baths together wasn’t a good idea. Sometimes she would stand behind me and converse as I was standing over the commode and slowly inch forward while talking. Slick little girl….but I always stopped her just short of seeing anything.
I just found your site and have enjoyed what I’ve read. My seven and a half year old still wants me to take baths with her and write letters on her back in soap. It’s sweet, but she likes her water too cold. (The reason my husband and I don’t shower together. He says my water is boiling and his is luke warm at best)
I never get privacy from her or my husband. What is it about being on the toilet that makes them want to walk in and have a long, involved conversation? My husband is actually worse than my daughter. They both get upset when I lock the door. I’m locked inside screaming, “Let me poop in peace!!!!”
Oh my, that sounds interesting and funny! Sounds like I have something to look forward to in the future!
Natalie A.´s last blog ..Father’s Day Gift Idea- Gourmet Gift Baskets Review + Giveaway
Comments on this entry are closed.