Privacy should be a basic expectation, especially when it comes to using the bathroom.

So, what would you do if a family member demanded that you leave the bathroom door unlocked so they could come and go as they please while you shower?

Would you allow it? Or would you put your foot down and lock them out?

In the following story, one daughter finds herself in this very situation with her mother and is considering the second option. Here’s what’s going on.

WIBTA for locking the bathroom door at my mom’s house?

Unfortunately, due to the high cost of living, I (28F) live with my mom (52F). We share her very small condo with one bathroom.

Because she is postmenopausal, she can feel fine one moment and badly needs to pee the next, so she demands that I leave the door unlocked when I shower. One time, I locked it, and she complained that she had to pee in a jar (I was done showering within 5 minutes).

Our cats’ food is located in the bathroom. So, not only does my mom use the toilet when I shower but she’ll come in and out and in and out to let the cat in to eat and change his bowl.

I’ve expressed to her twice that I feel this is a violation of my privacy.

She tried to create some ground rules.

I want peace and quiet when I’m in the shower, and I don’t want the hot air escaping through the open door or having to get out to open and close the door because a cat is stuck in the bathroom with me.

The cats can wait 15 minutes to eat. Mom insists that we all share the bathroom, and I need to be flexible.

I told her that I understood if she needed to come in and pee, but I needed boundaries, like no chatting and no cats. Otherwise, I will give her a heads-up to use the bathroom before I shower and lock the door from now on.

I also mentioned that when she has a tenant in the future, she’ll probably have to get used to a locked door. She says she’ll need someone who understands that she’s postmenopausal and needs to be able to pee while they shower. Is her stance reasonable?

AITA?

Yikes! That request is a bit much.

Let’s check out what the people over at Reddit have to say about bathrooms and privacy.

It’s basically the universal way to handle those situations.

Yeah, most people are not going to deal with that.

According to this comment, it’s more about the cats for the mom.

As this person points out, she should be able to hold it for 15 minutes with no problem.

The mother really needs to calm down.

She needs to respect her daughter’s boundaries and learn patience.

Sheesh.

If you liked that story, check out this one about a delivery driver who gave two weeks notice… so his employer disabled his truck when he was 300 miles from home!