Mother's Rights to Privacy in the Bathroom

My husband and I recently started potty training our youngest child Grace (the two year-old) and it is going quite well. When she goes into the bathroom to use the toilet, privacy is a huge issue with her. The door MUST BE shut and WE MUST not interrupt her while she is doing her business (which is usually unrolling all the toilet paper and singing to herself). If my husband and I happen to check in on her, all Hell breaks loss and it is the beginning of the apocalypse in our household.

This got me thinking, how is it that everyone else in my home can use the toilet undisturbed and I cannot. Since when did my privacy in the bathroom become a privilege that I only get during nap-time or the middle of the night when nature so rudely wakes me from my sleep (and at the point I am too tired to enjoy the privacy anyway). I cannot honestly remember the last time I was able to go to the bathroom in my house without the kids asking questions through the door or having to break up fights while I am sitting on the porcelain goddess. I know what you are thinking, "Why don't you just lock the door?" Right? Well, I tried that and Grace just sits outside the door crying because she cannot come into the bathroom. I have resorted to just disgusting my entire family and not even bothering to close the door. Why bother when it is just going to be broken down by the children anyway. This leads my to my second question, how come my husband gets to go to the bathroom in peace? He is in and out of the bathroom three to four times a day taking a book or newspaper and spending hours on end doing God knows what in there (I really don't want to know what he is doing in there - I personally don't get the fascination with smelling your body waste while you read a book or the newspaper). However, I have really come to resent that fact that nobody bothers him while he is on his throne and he feels he is entitled to such things. Why don't the kids start beating each other up or why doesn't Grace go in there and ask him a million questions like "What are you doing? Are you pooping?" "Let me brush your hair daddy," "Can I sit on your lap?" I seriously have girlfriends that go to work just to be able to use the bathroom by themselves. Seriously, no one else in my household has any intestinal issues except for me! I am beginning to think it is because I never get to use the bathroom in peace. I am calling on and uniting all mothers to join a group called “POOP IN PEACE 2009”.

Police: Mom stabs bus driver in stroller dispute

5 hours ago

Authorities say a woman who was repeatedly asked to fold up her baby's stroller on a New Orleans city bus refused, then poured milk on the driver before stabbing her in the chest.

New Orleans police and transit officials tell The Times-Picayune newspaper that the veteran Regional Transit Authority driver suffered a 4-inch deep wound but she survived.

Authorities say 17-year-old Darrion Scott boarded the bus with her 2 1/2-year-old baby and was asked to fold up the stroller. Authorities say Scott tore the top off the baby's bottle of milk and poured it on the driver before stabbing her.

She has been charged with aggravated battery.

The driver, Hanella Johnson, was released from the hospital Wednesday. She has been an RTA driver for 18 years.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.