Uninterrupted showers are still not a guarantee in my house. We recently moved to a place where my husband and I have our own bathroom–we used to share one with our kids. Back in the old place, I often had to let kids in to use the toilet while I was in the shower.
But even in the new place, my daughter will come and find me while I’m in the shower, often with a complaint about her brother. “I can’t help with this problem while I’m in here,” I tell her, but she stays and airs her grievance. To calm her down, I play a game with her where she draws on the outside of the shower glass and I follow her finger from the inside, where it leaves a drawing in the condensation. We draw hearts and smiley faces together. Then I nicely ask her to leave, and she does, but she sometimes waits for me right outside the door so I can solve her problem the second I step out of the bathroom.
I don’t like being this available to other people. There’s no one else in my life besides my kids whose questions I would entertain while bathing. I’m realizing I need to set firmer shower boundaries with my kids, in order to protect my own sanity.
Because a nice shower is such a lovely experience. The soap smells good, the water is hot, I can blast my tunes and sing along. And I can dream, that for at least ten minutes, I might remain peacefully, blissfully, alone.
Michelle Folk Johnson 