5 Minutes, Please

Don’t you hate it when this happens:

Everyday, after picking kids up from school, I can’t go to the bathroom without being disturbed.  My kids are no longer toddlers, yet at 9 and 11, they can’t leave me alone.  I finally got them to stop opening the door, but now…  Immediately, speaking to me through the bathroom door is my son:

“Um, Mom, I’m hungry.”

“Just a minute, I’m in the bathroom.”

“But, I’m starving, can I get a snack? or will you get me a snack?”

Now, they know they have snack immediately following school every day.  They take this time to see if I’ll allow them to pick out what they want.  If left up to them, their snack would consist of cookies and chips.  So I say,

“I’ll be out in a minute- I’m going to the bathroom, please.”

A second goes by, and my daughter comes to the door,

“Mom, Gibson won’t leave me alone.  He’s irritating me. Um, and when’s snack?”

From the living room I can hear her brother call out,

“What?  I didn’t do anything.”

“GET OUT OF HERE.  I’m going to the bathroom, leave me alone for 5 minutes!”

Then my son comes back to the door:

“Mom, I need help with my homework.”

…every weekday.  Now, I have to announce as we arrive home, everyday…

“I will be stepping into the bathroom now, do not bother me for 5 minutes.  Get your homework out and I will give you snack in a few.”