Business of the business

Much to my utter DISMAY, last week I saw Daisy take a book her with to the bathroom. And there I was thinking I was leading in her right directions of, you know, life.

I am not someone who takes longer in the bathroom than is required. I mean why WOULD you? Get in, get out, get on with it. It completely baffles me that anyone would want to sit, and read, play games on their phone, or just ponder for any longer that you need to. Rob on the other hand? Let’s just say he embraces some time in the bathroom, and is unable, yes Rob, UNABLE, to be in there for anything under 7 minutes. Most of the time we are looking at the 20 minute mark.

I’ve had this discussion many a time with friends and family (usually while we are waiting for Rob) and heard of one of my Mother in law’s friends who actually built a bookcase into her newly renovated bathroom just for the purpose of extra curricular toilet activities. That’s taking things to a whole new level don’t you think? Decorating around such shenanigans?

Do you have books and magazines in your bathroom?
Am I missing something here?
Are you in and out or a ponderer?
If so, WHY? DEAR GOD WHY?

Comments

  1. You know what I’ve always wanted to know on this subject? Do they at least wipe BEFORE commencing their reading or do they sit there reading while their dirty butt dries and sets?

    You’re welcome (but you started it dude)

  2. In and out. Preferably before Mr Woog goes in with his motorcycle magazine.

  3. Ooh – I regularly rotate the board books for the toddler. If she has a book she sits there a whole minute or two longer and ‘reads’ and we have less accidents in the house. I also have posters with words and pictures to look at – anything to keep her there longer enough to do what she needs to do. In public toilets we sing. We’re like the Von Trapp family of the public facilities some days! πŸ™‚

  4. Its a man thing for sure

  5. Living with someone who has Crohns disease, you get used to a lot of toilet time. We are always waiting for Hubs. Its his last stop before he exits the building, never quick. Pours over his phone, reads books on the iPad, plays games. A book case, *shudders

  6. I am with y’all … IN & OUT !!! It repulses me seeing magazines stored in a little rack or even worse on.the.floor next to the toilet, um HELLOOO its germ central in there!! I better stop before I gross you out but lets just say, I am pretty sure the bathroom magazine readers are wiping their ass (most likely numerous times) AND continuing to read for a little while longer with said hand!! Bleugh!

  7. This bothers me as well – I blogged about it a few weeks back….
    http://twopointfivekids.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/your-throne-my-toilet.html

  8. I hear you! I do not understand why you would want to spend extra time in there. In and out.

    Bettina
    http://www.littleoldsouls.com

  9. Sorry, I’m a toilet vacationer, it’s my time out from my 1yr old. In fact, I’m typing this on the loo right now πŸ˜‰

    xx

  10. I don’t get it!!! I don’t get it!!! I really don’t get it!!!! In and out people and fibre please – smelly, germs, it’s no escape from the kids. A beautiful couch in the sunshine with a cup of tea is a much better reading spot. xxx

  11. yuk!

  12. Anonymous says

    Dont you just LOVE the word shenanigans?

  13. Sure there are better places to have a little time out…but it’s the only room in the house with a lock on it!!! A closed door means nothing to my children :0P

  14. Anonymous says

    I am constantly saying to my husband, ‘Why do you sit in there stewing in your juices?’. It’s such a revolting practice. When he comes out he often wants to give me a hug (goodness knows why?), but I back right off – eeewwww!

  15. This used to be an issue… there are hubby and three sons in this house… until (shhhhhh…. keep it to yourself)…. we got the house with four – yes, four- toilets in it.

    Problem solved.

  16. I’m renting a house with a magazine rack built into the vanity; it’s empty…

  17. In and out, for all of us, thank goodness. Apparently you should be able to do what you need to do fairly quickly and it is unhealthy to be sitting there. Though I used to laugh when travelling in China my chinese companion used to head out to the public toilets (we stayed in hotels with western ones) so he could have a good long squat every so often. There’s a mental image for you, reading and squatting. Thank god I didn’t actually see this for myself – public toilets in China were so disgusting the thought of being in there any longer than necessary was bad enough.

  18. Anonymous says

    Since having 3 children naturally and no longer being allowed to *PUSH* for medical reasons, I have been known to spend longer than what is deemed necessary in that small room of the house. However, although I may take something with me read to eleviate the boredom, I don’t however store anything in there – no magazines or books are stored, even though its cleaned often enough there is nothin allowed to be left in there to become a germ hive.

  19. I have to admit I’m a loo lingerer in the luxury of my own home -but I draw the line at bookcases and magazine racks. Loo lingering must run in my family, I remember going to my uncle’s house as a kid, and he had a full on magazine rack, with books, magazines and stacks of crosswords. He almsot had time share in there! And while we’re on the subject, I have a friend who won’t borrow books from the library, just in case someone has read them en loo!

  20. In and out.. ALTHOUGH I have been known, after an afternoon of excessive kids to wipe, flush and sit back down for a little chill!

    A bookcase? why not install a TV whilst you are at it?!

  21. I’m a toilet reader but only for number 2’s ( I hate saying no.2’s but didn’t know of another polite way of saying it!). So is hubby & my kids both take their sweet time.
    I’d bloody love a bookcase in there! Never thought of doing that when we built our house but I do get annoyed when hubby takes magazines from the table & leaves them in the toilet – just being them back out already!

  22. Oh My God! I was just having the same thought on the weekend. Why, why, why do you need to sit in the toilet with your book or ipad or iphone? Why would you want to spend more time in the loo than you have to? You are SO not missing anything Beth xox

  23. Only for number 2’s surely?? Give the man plenty of fibre… he’ll be done and dusted before he can even open the paper ! πŸ™‚ x

  24. Toilet lingerer over here πŸ™‚ Anything some days to get a little quiet time to myself ….

  25. I am a lingerer … I blame it on my childhood when the best way to get out of after dinner dishes was to disappear to the loo as soon as dinner was done … there was literally a stampede between my brothers and I, then first one in got the door locked, and immunity from dishes. I’m now nearly 40, but old habits die hard! I draw the line at perusing cookbooks in there though.

  26. Anonymous says

    I have never understood the need to linger any longer than absolutely necessary in the loo. Looking back, my dad plus 2 brothers never did. My husband doesn’t and thankfully neither does my son.
    My very considerate husband even goes to the loo in the laundry (it’s ok, he is a early morning motion man, so hours before I venture in there)BUT my son loves MY bathroom. He has only ever pooped in MY bathroom.
    He is about to turn 18 …..

  27. LissyLouLou says

    Oh lord, we have this at our place as well. I’m in and out and onto better things within minutes but my husband is the problem. It used to be the newspaper sudoku but now it is sudoku on his phone and he can be there for ages…

    Now I watch my 7yo go in with a “Where’s Wally” book and expect him to be gone for 15-20 minutes. My 4yo on the other hand is a singer and commentator: length, number and quality of product, at the top of his voice.

    There is something to be said for quiet toilet activities!

    • Harper is a commentator too! HILARIOUS!

    • Yes mine commentate too! ‘I’ve got 3 more to go mummy’.. ‘are you finished yet?’.. grunt, squeeze, sigh ‘no mummy still 2 more to go’. … ‘ooh I’ve done lots of worms mummy, look’. No I don’t need to know or look! get a move on!

  28. Ha, I have a nephew like your husband – he always takes his time in the bathroom. I must admit though that sometimes if I know it is going to be a slightly longer visit, I too take a sudoku in there too. Most times though, I am in and out as quick as possible.

    Julie q

  29. In and out for me. I find toilets – no matter how new, fancy, or clean…pretty gross places. Whenever I see a pile of magazines/books in someone’s loo; I can’t help but wonder how many germs are lingering on those pages. {OCD much?}
    My Dad on the other hand is a toilet lingerer…..I went to Africa and Europe with my parents, as a teenager, and I swear we spent most of the trip waiting for my Dad….on the loo. He reckons he does his best thinking there??? wtf?
    x

  30. In and out for me. But I can squeeze in some very quick reading time while I’m there (I hate to staring at the wall for even 5 seconds). I wonder about some toilet-lingerers though? Perhaps there’s some sort of issue going on that’s why it takes so long for them to finish? There’s nothing worse than being constipated all the time (my husband suffered from that for a little while). Daisy’s taking after her Dad it seems πŸ™‚

  31. Nope…totally don’t get it.
    In and out.
    It is not like I get any privacy in there anyway! Toddler C comes in, the dog comes in…I get no peace!

    Daddy R on the other hand takes his computer in there and fully sets up shop!
    I will not even let myself imagine the chain of events.

  32. I like a quiet read on the loo. Not sure why exactly. My kids are following suit. x

  33. Not my favourite place in which to linger longer than necessary. I did read somewhere that one should never flush the toilet unless the lid is down as apparently germs can fly up into the air from the pan. Good one to remember.

  34. It is not my time out place, it is a place where Jarvis stands in front of me. He insists on handing me the toilet paper, one square at a time, which he then places on my knee in neat piles. But the good part (not!) is he tries to look into the bowl and watch. I now get claps and a little dance when I do something. Umm, ok I may have done this for him when Jarvis used the toilet, but I no longer need a cheer squad to go.
    Yes, I have tried shutting him out but the bathroom door has no lock and is easy to push open.
    Needless to say, I try to get in and out as fast as possible.

  35. Anonymous says

    If you ask any rectal surgeon, they will tell you to ban all reading material in the toilet. Sitting on an open seat causes haemorrhoids – in a manner that is directly proportional to the time spent sitting there. And a bookshelf in the loo is quaint, but pretty disgusting. I bet not everyone puts the seat down when they flush – resulting in faecal organism blasting up in the air and settling down onto everything… Yuk.

  36. Anonymous says

    Oh you have to stamp that out right now!!!! No way, no how would this old librarian ever condone reading in the toilet!! Yuck, how repulsive!! That is one habit that we should all work at eradicating. No longer are toilet rolls accepted as donations for craft activities in most schools and preschools for the risk of infection- so don’t let books do the same thing. I cannot believe parents find it acceptable to encourage these sorts of filthy habits. I hope everyone is aware that faecal matter is aerosoled in the flushing process and can be found on all items in the bathroom- books included! Then what- bring them back to school to spread the joy! yay! Get in, get out, maintain high levels of hygiene, and do not sit there breathing in your own stink and spreading e coli and hepatitis to anyone who touches the book/magazine next!!

  37. My eldest has taken to reading in the bathroom…not, I suspect, for any other reason than avoiding emptying the dishwasher or to sneak in a few more minutes after lights out. She’s currently hooked by Mallory Towers and has moved on to Trixie Belden after finishing the series, I am discouraging of the habit but am secretly pleased that she can’t get enough of some of my old favourites πŸ™‚

    • I am a spend-a-long-time-in-there kind of person. But I think that habit was built through my avoidance of doing the dishes! Now I sit in there with my phone to hide from my children!

  38. Anonymous says

    I’m an in and out as quick as possible kinda person, my husband says he isn’t sure if i do my business on the way down to the seat or the way back up again… this from the man who takes atleast 30 mins to drop the friends off at the pool.. I don’t think he knows what the urge to go feels like, i think he thinks “about that time ?? i’ll go give it a nudge and see if there is anything there.”

    Em

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