*pound pound pound*
” Hey kiddo, it’s time to get out of the shower.”
*pound pound pound*
“What?”
“It’s time to get out of the shower.”
“I can’t hear you. I’m in the shower.”
*pound pound pound*
“What!!!”
“GET OUT OF THE SHOWER!”
“I’m almost done.”
“NOW. You are gonna be late for -school – mutual – scriptures – church – work.”
“OK.”
It worked. Kinda. Five minutes later, the water goes off. I am met with, “Gee Dad, I was trying to take a shower!”
Now I am fine with my boys having good hygiene – I like a good, long shower as much as the next guy. I am glad that my sons are willing to take regular showers without the least bit of prodding. I have lived abroad enough to know that daily bathing is an American eccentricity that I can gladly accept.
I do my best to explain to my sons, in my ever-so patient-voice, that there are times that a fast shower is in order – like when the entire family is gathered, and trying to be awake to read scriptures.
I have trotted out the utility bills to show then how we may have to choose between groceries and showers.
Or that from a purely logical place that when you need to leave the house is five minutes, the laws of the known Universe prevent one from taking a 15 minute shower.
I have explained that there are other people in the house who might need the bathroom. (That argument is never very effective because we have several bathrooms in our house, but I keep trying.)
I have even repeatedly resorted to dragging out the old missionary stories…
When I was on my mission, several of my apartments didn’t have hot water – if we had water at all. (And yes, sometimes there would be a layer of ice on the walls and floor.)
It was there I learned to perfect my 90 second shower technique. For survival.
1) Turn on water just long enough to get wet. Turn off water.
2) Wash body with soap. (No time for loofahs and bottles of shower gel -just grab a bar and get to it.)
3) Shampoo.
4) Turn water back on, rinse. Turn water off.
5) Get out of shower.
I may be exaggerating when I say 90 seconds – the reality is that on especially cold mornings it was closer to 60 seconds.
It is painfully obvious that my stories of missionary hardship merit nothing more than an eye roll. I am also aware that I’m not the only father who is frustrated by this.
But I might be the only father who hopes his sons get called to serve in Siberia. You know, for the learning experience, and the “I told you so” moment.
Until that day, I’ll keep pounding on the door, and maybe start turning off the water heater.
Oh wait – that will never work – I’m married.
Here
Well, if you water heater is dying, it really makes you hurry too. So thankful for a new water heater this past year! I’m just going to say, that if you use conditioner, then you wash, then condition and while the conditioner is setting in, then you soap (and shave legs) That’s the girl version, as the girls outnumber the boys in this house.
Remind your boys that things could be worse. My son leaned to shower in 30 seconds WITH 20 other recuits all at the same time.
Ah, Twin Falls…Twinkie Flatts to those who at one time called it home. I am aware of two times that Pres. Hinckley was there…and both times the wind was blowing so hard that he mentioned it on his second visit and wondered if it ever stopped.
However, my mother was famous for picking the lock and pouring a piture of cold water over the top of the shower if you were in too long. there was never enough water for 7 boys and a mom and dad as it was.
You are correct though, there are plenty of places in the area where hot water just bubbles out of the ground and is great for a late night “hot tub” on the river after Friday night’s football game.
As far as the 90 second shower….on my mission it was always a challenge to be the first one into the shower because you had about 90 seconds of solar heated water in the morning. No such thing as a water heater other than what was in the pipe on the east side of the house. The military taught me about quick showers when we would be “punished” if it took more than 5 minutes to wake up, shower, shave and get dressed and be in formation. My CE still marvels how I can get in and be out before she gets done brushing her hair.
In a drought-plagued area, more than 5 min in the shower is anti-social and possibly criminal, but my own experience is that teenagers just don’t get it. In the 70’s Calif had a bad drought, and my husband and I had a timer in the bathroom. Since water is nearly always an issue in Calif, after that particular drought was over, I kept the timer in the bathroom, but my kids never internalized the idea that wise water use is important. Some yrs ago a missionary mentioned taking a 40 min hot shower for sore muscles, and I was aghast. Well, he was from the Twin Falls area, and used to water just coming out of the ground.
Now I live where there seems to be plenty of water, but I still feel guilty if I don’t hustle through a shower!
Sometimes when they move out, they move back home. 😛 Seize the moment and teach ’em while you have it.
I’m currently nagging(reeducating) my older two (22, 23) at least once a week.
Oh, and it’s not just dads this bugs. :/
This reminded me of repentance. You are getting clean- but sometimes we stay in longer than we need to- we dont get it done and move on and get to work. We get stuck in the guilt and drag out the process when we have already been washed clean.
I like it!
“I want them to manage their time and be considerate of others.” Amen to that. I can handle a lot of short-term frustration as long as the long-term goal (in this case, good citizenship) is being achieved.
The shower had a little window to the back yard. Sometimes Dad would turn on the hose and stick it against the screen. A full blast of cold hose water is a hard thing to escape in a little shower booth. Much screaming, followed by Dad laughing, followed by an angry teen getting out of the shower pronto.
Sometimes we threaten our daughter that after 10 minutes-or so-we will pour a bucket of cold water on her head if she’s not out. It’s a pretty good motivator.
Yup, you described my life. As the fictional character Jack Reacher says, “Get in, get clean, get out.” Think that was learned in the military.
Uh….. I installed a waterproof clock in the shower itself. Seems to have created some self-regulation, which is my goal.
That is a good idea!
Wondering if you still take 90 second showers. Asking for a friend.
Why would I do that?
I had a kid that showered so long that the wallpaper peeled in the bathroom. Thank goodness thy’re on their own and paying for the own showers, so I can enjoy my own long, hot shower…
I have a 2 and 4 year old, so not got this issue with my kids, but I had 5 roomates in this house of mine before I got married. The out put valve on the hot water heater was the first thing I located, and they learned a 5 minute limit.
I like it. I like to tinker with things and I have been thinking about making something that after 5 minutes it starts slowly turning off the hot water. Slow enough where they realize it and have time to hurry up and finish their business.
Where do I donate to your Kickstarter!?!?! I want to be first in line… I there’s something similar on the market that reduces the water flow after a certain amount of time, but it’s $150!!
My motivation is dwindling as I only have another 2 years before all my kids are out of the house!
I don’t want them to get out because of cold water – I want them to manage their time and be considerate of others.
That type of inner processing doesn’t happen until the next life! In the meantime I’m also in line for the “shower stopper”. You can even patent that name for free!
Your welcome.