Reading on Toilet?

[me again]

Well, this seems to be the day to gripe about my family.

My dh has always had the disgusting habit of sitting on the toilet and reading, but hey, that's how he is, can't change him after almost 25 years.

But now my kids are taking up the habit. Well, actually, they're more high-tech--they sit on the toilet with their laptops and Nintendos! Of all the disgusting habits! Why, oh why, does a person do this? Do it or get off the pot! Its not like we don't have any other place to sit in our house!

Like I said, I can't change dh, but am not going to allow the kids to follow in his tradition. Its a disgusting habit, and very inconsiderate of others. We have 3.5 baths in our home,so each of us has claimed his own "throne" but that habit really gets bothersome while traveling and in a hotel room with one bathroom.

Well, guess its just my night to be ticked at my family. Just tonight I had to "flush" all three of them out of their respective reading rooms for dinner!

 

[my3disneygirls]

I have been to people's houses where they had reading material at the ready for potty time. It is not unusual and just think if you had a TV in there, You would never get then out.

 

[brergnat]

Um, what's so disgusting about reading on the toilet? A LOT of people do that. I play Nintendo gameboy on the toilet sometimes if I have nothing to read.

I just wonder what the "disgusting" part is, unless your DH uses the book to wipe afterwards???

Just accept that people have different toileting habits than you. I would go so far as to say that YOU are probably not the norm when it comes to this particular topic...

Unless, does your husband and kids just sit on the toilet to read when they DON'T have to "go"? If so, okay, maybe that is a little weird. But I wouldn't say disgusting.

 

[coolbeans]

The only thing that bugs me about it is that it makes DH take twice as long as to go, do your business and leave!

 

[dana1003]

my dh can sit in there for like 30 min reading..doesnt really bother me unless i have to go..we only have 1 bathroom. but i have noticed one of my girls will go get a book from her room and then tell me she has to go potty..she doesnt sit long but i guess she just figures thats what people do??

 

[tinkandpan]

I am guilty of bringing a book or my laptop in as well. It's the only place everyone in the house leaves me alone!

 

[bellebud]

When my kids were really little and i couldn't get a moments peace... i'd fake a belly ache to my dh and go in the bathroom for a while. I'd sit on the floor and read his magazines. It was the only place in the house I could get a minute to myself and dh wouldn't disturb me and he'd take care of the kids needs instead of shouting out to me (only because he thought i wasn't feeling well). Now that the kids are old enough to come disturb me themselves, it doesn't work anymore. Oh well!

(so in response to OP, my dh reads there too... i think all men do). The laptops and gameboys are a new one to me, but i bet yours aren't the only ones.

 

[Steph9072]

I'm guilty we are a house of guilty people we all read on the john. Never thought anything wrong of it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Maybe they are hiding in there.

 

[Panlow]

I'm guilty we are a house of guilty people we all read on the john. Never thought anything wrong of it.

We're the same at our place

 

[Hannathy]

I thought everybody reads in there! My Dad read the newspaper after dinner in there everyday of his life. Actually built in a magazine rack when he redid the bathroom. I agree with the poster who said you are the one out of the curve/norm.

Are your kids teens yet? Because teens even take their phones in there, now I think that is weird but they don't seem to.

 

[brandylouwho]

The only thing that bugs me about it is that it makes DH take twice as long as to go, do your business and leave!

My brother has this habit too, but he claims that he reads because it takes him a long tim to go/to relax and let it happen...so he reads in order to pass the time.

Luckily DH is too impatient. He'd never be able to sit there and read.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Doesn't everyone read in the bathroom? I have magazines in 2 bathrooms specifically for that purpose.

 

[momocay]

We are readers/ ds players as well. Now the laptop, I wouldnt do, What if it falls in?

 

[Stimpy]

The only thing that bothers me about reading in the bathroom is that DH disappears for over 1/2 hour! When he's having a hard day or the kids are extra crazy, he goes and "reads" 2-3 times a day which irritates me to no end since he's using it to escape. We all know dern well he isn't doing much else in there. I tend to pass the Immodium through the door thinking he'll get the hint

My DS has also taken up the habit especially at bedtime. All of a sudden he grabs a thick book and heads into the bathroom. He'll sit in there all night if he could just to put off bedtime.

Now if I take longer than 5 minutes in the bathroom, I have 2 kids banging on the door, cats clawing at the molding, Dh calling "where'd you go??"....

 

[jamesmommy]

Are your kids teens yet? Because teens even take their phones in there, now I think that is weird but they don't seem to.

I think it is weird too, I have noticed this going on alot in public bathrooms. It seems to be a growing trend. If you ducked in there for quiet like in a loud bar or something, that would be one thing, but full conversations while "on the pot"? Am I the only one who finds this totally disgusting? I would hate to think that I mean so little to the person on the other end that this is the only time they could find to talk to me. JMHO

 

[iltb]

I don't understand what takes so long for some people to go to the bathroom in general. My DH and DD don't read in the bathroom, but they sure sit there for what seems like FOREVER! I always think there's no way they are "going" the whole time. And if they aren't "going" then why not just come back when they can go? After all,isn't that where the old saying started?
If my DH and DD started reading or playing video games in there, they'd surely never come out!

 

[Feralpeg]

My DD has IBS, so she has to spend considerable time in the bathroom. When she was in high school, she'd do most of her homework there. Now, she does puzzle books, uses her laptop or listens to music. I certainly don't have a problem with it. In her life, it is necessary to spend the time there. Why shouldn't she be able to do something to help pass that time?

 

[me again]

Well, I'm the op, seems I'm outnumbered! Most people consider it "normal" to read while on the pot!

I grew up in a house with one bathroom so learned from the time we were children not to take a long time in there, its just inconsiderate. But what bugs me most about dh's sitting in there half the night is not so much the time he takes (we have 4 toilets!) but that he doesn't flush until he's ready to come out! I mean, it builds up in there! Good thing we don't smoke, an open flame would be a hazard with all the gas buildup

My kids are also developing the habit, but taking it high-tech. Instead of reading matter they take their nintendos and laptops in there. We have yet to develop the habit of taking a phone in there! My dh recently conducted a phone interview, the guy on the other end was clearly on the pot, dh could hear him flush (well, at least he flushes!)

 

[Feralpeg]

Well, I'm the op, seems I'm outnumbered! Most people consider it "normal" to read while on the pot!

I grew up in a house with one bathroom so learned from the time we were children not to take a long time in there, its just inconsiderate. But what bugs me most about dh's sitting in there half the night is not so much the time he takes (we have 4 toilets!) but that he doesn't flush until he's ready to come out! I mean, it builds up in there! Good thing we don't smoke, an open flame would be a hazard with all the gas buildup

My kids are also developing the habit, but taking it high-tech. Instead of reading matter they take their nintendos and laptops in there. We have yet to develop the habit of taking a phone in there! My dh recently conducted a phone interview, the guy on the other end was clearly on the pot, dh could hear him flush (well, at least he flushes!)

I do have a problem with people using the phone on the pot! Not long ago, I was at the mall. I went into the public restroom. Many people were using the toilets. A woman was on her phone. It had to be obvious what she was doing!