I dunno. Angelina just might have to 'splain to Brad want dental floss is...

:)

I'll let you know when it happens. My kids are almost 13 and 9 and I still rarely get to pee uninterrupted. It seems things are never more urgent for them than when I have to pee. I will say, only the 9 year old still comes into the bathroom. The older one just tries to tell me things through the door.

Mine were about 4 when they gave up on the bathroom-fun-with-Mom-time. I don't remember, but I may have just locked them out of the house every time I needed to be alone with my toilet. What? I'm sure the neighbours kept an eye on them or something.

Our girls--ages 16 and 17--still come into the bathroom to talk to their mother. Settle in for a LONG ride.

I put the 9-month-old in the exersaucer (which is right outside the bathroom door) and I ask the 3-year old for some "privacy" which she asks for all the time. Usually by the second request, she's willing to grant me some.

Five? My younger daughter still bangs on the door, but she rarely comes in anymore. She'll be five in July. My oldest is seven and is all about privacy. Mostly hers, but she gets that a shut bathroom doors means I am busy.

Then again, I just realized that now that my son can crawl, I'm starting all over again.

My alone potty time is at work.

My 4th grader STILL manages to say, "Mom? Mom? Mom?" as soon as I go in. But at least now when I say "I'm IN the BATHROOM" he says "Oh, sorry!" whereas my second grader says, "Oh. On my spelling homework? On the second part? I don't know what this means."

Nobody comes in with me, though. I use the lock, even, just to be sure. I'm not sure if that's better or worse, though, since then it's "What? What? What did you say?" through the bathroom door.

Yeah, my 8 year old just walks in and begins conversations with me like it's no big deal... and like it matters, since the 1 and 2 year olds are usually already in there!

About age 4, I decided that my son had to stay out of the bathroom while I was in there. I shut the door and lock it so he doesn't come in. So what happens? He stands outside the door, having conversations with me and sliding things underneath.

I guess this one of the few advantages of our teeny tiny townhouse. There's no bathroom on the main living level, so whenever the kids are in the living room playing, the gate is closed. So they can yell, but they can't come upstairs and bug me. So to answer your question, I keep my 4 yo and 1 yo locked up in the living room while I attend to my business.

Well I have been free to use the bathroom for about 3 weeks because i lost it with my 6 year old and told him if I was in the bathroom he was not to talk to me, bang on the door or yell for me unless there was a fire or blood. So far it is working. It might be that I was nearing a nervous break down and he was scared of the crazed look in my eyes.

My kids are 13, 9, 7 and 6 - I can't even get in the bathroom never mind getting in there alone.

Angelina doesn't know what she's missing ;)

at least you weren't nursing one of them at the time. That is always my favorite!

You get a story? Lucky!

But I bet it happens to her nannies.

Honestly? When you tell them to leave you alone. Owen is a little young to really listen at this point, but by three I'm totally ok with saying "Mama needs some alone time, go do something else!" (And yes, sometimes I STILL have to tell my three year old!)

Not to discourage you but I'm 29 and I've been known to walk into my mom's bathroom at my childhood home and talk at her while she's "using" it. And every time it happens she yells "I haven't had a moment alone in the bathroom in (fill in blank with my current age) years!"

Maybe your children will respect boundaries better...or you'll get a locking door?

My kids still do it, but I do remember reaching a point myself, as a child, when I told my Mother to "Gahhh! Close the door!!!" as I was walking by. lol

(Warning: may be overly gross. Read with caution.)

My just-turned 3 year old is a nice bathroom companion usually, balling up an appropriate amount of toilet paper, fetching pantiliners and peeling off backing, and so on. But she knows that after she fetches a tampon, Mommy needs privacy. Because her peepee is bleeding. (Her words, not mine.)

OH, and. Sigh. Re: solid waste, she actually asks to check it out before you flush it down, which only seems fair because we check hers out and make comment ("Holy Poop!!") because she still uses a little training potty on the main living level. She is always very complimentary of our efforts. I guess it is nice to be appreciated, even if it IS just your poop.

It gets better. They are too little to give you a moment alone. Understanding privacy and boundaries is a constant work in progress in our home.

I try to lock the door for occasional baths and privacy in the bathroom. My son loves to yell at me that my cell is ringing. He barges in periodically when I forgot to lock the door thinking it's vital that I know this or whatever he feels is important at that moment.

wait- you mean you supposed to use the bathroom alone?

OK, so I'm a lot like Amanda in that I still don't give my mom privacy (I'm 28). We never gave my dad that either. And there's no such thing like at our house. Just last night I was telling DH that I realized he has NO privacy except in his car; his desk is in the middle of his office so he can keep tabs on his guys, and here? Well, he don't get no respect.

I actually don't mind that my kids keep me company. Most of the time. Some times I want to flush them down the toilet before I start doing what I have to do, though.

Just to let you know that what goes around comes around...my mom is 78 and since her stroke left her partially paralyzed on the right side, she actually WANTS me in the bathroom with her at times (after 12 kids her bladder muscles aren't quite as strong as they once were and she needs to get those pants down FAST)...

umm, make sure the kids are safe and explain to Mia that the bathroom is private and shut the door and do your business. come out and go about your day. what's so difficult about that? Or can you not stop breastfeeding long enough to do that?

Well...mine are 7 and 10 and I have yet to go to the bathroom or shower or dress or just about anything in peace. So...I dunno.

Like Becky, it's when you tell them. Mine are 4.5 and 2 and they *know* that Mommy doesn't talk through the door when she's peeing and you *don't* open the door... you wait. They're old enough now that I can leave them alone for a few minutes without the house burning down and at least if they start to *try* and burn it down they make a lot of noise and I can hear them before it happens.

I put my foot down about the peeing alone/uninterrupted aspect of parenting about 6m ago (before that I'd let them talk to me through the door and push things under, etc). They learned pretty quickly and don't even push it anymore.

Earlier this week I found myself reading "Good Night, My Duckling" while on the toilet, so I'm reading the comments with interest.

I don't have the answer yet, but I can tell you it is sometime after 4 1/2.

I have two boys ages 10 and 12. If the door is slightly ajar, the run away saying "eww eww eww eww". I think a tween boy's worst nightmare is his mom on the toilet or naked. Go me! But I know I'll loose my privacy again when the 8 month old becomes mobile.

The only time I get "alone" time in the bathroom is when the kids (and husband) are at school/work.

Now, there are times when I tell my husband "OUT, OUT, OUT!!!!" but the kids have a tendency to just throw open the door or decide bath time is 20 questions time.

One day I'll have a bathroom. Inside a fortress. With sound-proof walls and triple locking doors. It's one of my little goals in life.

I think you need to change sex to get to the bathroom alone.