mom2abcd Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It's been YEARS and a few kids ago since we had only one bathroom in the house, but it appears that when we move, we will need to learn to function without the luxury of 2 or 3 bathrooms. Does anyone have any tips? Schedules? Shower time limits? I imagine we'll promote the use of mirrors in bedrooms (may need better lighting), dressing only in bedrooms and not the bathroom, hanging towels in bedrooms??? I'm sure we'll survive. Years ago they had only one outhouse for large families! But the thought of a chamber pot sounds more appealing than it ever has before. And has anyone made a liquids-only alternative with a basement drain successfully? (Ewww... can't believe I'm asking, but we've had three bathrooms. This is going to take some getting used to!) LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riada Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We have more than one bathroom but a friend has four children and one bath. She has vanities in the girls' bedrooms so they can do hair and get ready in there instead of the bathroom. She hangs towels over the foot of their beds. As for schedules she has two at night and two in the morning do showers. She has never mentioned when her and her husband shower- nor have I asked. lol. They have done it for the 7 years that I have known them so it is possible. Good luck with your transition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Forget having complete privacy - no one gets to have the entire room to himself when everyone is getting ready for the day or for bed. Teach everyone how to enter the shower stall/tub mostly dressed when someone else is using the toilet or mirror, then remove clothing and toss it out, and turn on the shower. Teach everyone how to limit shower time to a reasonable amount. Stagger shower times. Parents in a.m., dc at night, or vice versa. Stagger getting ready times. Try to be completely ready for the day before waking dc, and wait until they are in bed to prep for bed. Hooks for towels, instead of towel bars - they can stay in the bathroom. If storage space is limited, everyone can keep a shower caddy with all toiletries in the bedroom. Have girls brush and arrange hair in bedrooms. Boys, too, if they take a long time. I hope you enjoy your new place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We have 5 people and 1 bath; it's always been that way so it's no big deal. We don't have limits or rules...just an assigned spot to hang your towel so we can remember which one belongs to who. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We had complete privacy on the toilet or in the shower. However, once people were doing things like shaving or combing their hair, the door would be opened and others could come in and do the same. We all got dressed in our bedrooms (which were all two person bedrooms). It was fine, we were used to it. Looking back on it, though, I realize that we did not bathe as often as I would want as a grownup. My Dad showered every night. I don't know how often my mom took a bath. But the rest of us took baths or showers only about twice a week. Again, we thought that was normal. So that made it easy to work around each other. I didn't know that you were moving! Where are you going? Hmmmm? California beckons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We have 5 people and 1 bath; it's always been that way so it's no big deal. We don't have limits or rules...just an assigned spot to hang your towel so we can remember which one belongs to who. Sandy, what do you do when you have multiple kids than need to go #2? When I had a 1 bath a couple times a year all the kids would get the runs. We were miserable. Should she have an emergency toilet? Like one of the camping ones? I really hate this topic but I'm guessing this is her worse case scenario. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It's been YEARS and a few kids ago since we had only one bathroom in the house, but it appears that when we move, we will need to learn to function without the luxury of 2 or 3 bathrooms. Does anyone have any tips? Schedules? Shower time limits? I imagine we'll promote the use of mirrors in bedrooms (may need better lighting), dressing only in bedrooms and not the bathroom, hanging towels in bedrooms??? I'm sure we'll survive. Years ago they had only one outhouse for large families! But the thought of a chamber pot sounds more appealing than it ever has before. And has anyone made a liquids-only alternative with a basement drain successfully? (Ewww... can't believe I'm asking, but we've had three bathrooms. This is going to take some getting used to!) LOL When we had 1 bath the showers and baths weren't the problem it was the toilet issue. I'd send the boys out back to a tree when needed and let the girls have priority. But we lived on acreage, too. It will be an adjustment for you. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Uh, oh. Did I kill this thread by being TMI??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubilee Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We are living with my bil and his family: 7 children (3 in diapers soon to be potty trained) and 4 adults with 1 toilet. The bathroom does have dual sinks which helps tons when it is time to brush teeth and that sort of thing. We have not had to deal with flowing bodily fluids from either end as of yet. Staggering showers have been working for us. The only thing I have learned to do is stay in bed when I first wake up until I know the bathroom is vacant. Doing the potty dance while waiting for the children seems like forever:001_smile: hth, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I grew up with 1 bathroom and there were 8 children. I never remember their being a problem. showers were every second day, girls in the morning , boys at night. all younger children ( under8) in the bath together. no reading in the toilet. and it worked fine. my parents still have only 1 bathroom, and they have the youngest 3 children still living at home, they are in their early 20's. they have no problem. my mum grew up with a outside dunny and always found an inside toilet a marvel, especially on rainy nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Our last two houses have had one bathroom and it really isn't a problem. Not only do we have six people in the family, but we often host family for the weekends. There are a few common curtesies. We never lock the door when showering. That leaves the toilet open if needed. Just announce ahead of time that you are coming in to use the bathroom. Dh always gives way to the four ladies of the house when it comes to using the toilet. We keep a robe for each person hanging on the back of the bathroom door and get dressed in our rooms. The person at the sink always gives way to the person needing the toilet. In case of dire emergencies, the shower is in fact a drain. This has only been utilized up to now by our toddlers, but is available to anyone else who feels it truly necessary and is willing to devote time to scrubbing the tub afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hswarden Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I consider it a great blessing to have only one bathroom to get dirty or have to find someone to clean. We have 6 in our family, and I think I"ve counted 5 in there at once. :grouphug: Everyone stores their towel and most of their own toiletries in their own room; I have earned the privilege of storing my toiletries in the bathroom, where I hog half of one shelf. Some people lock the door when they are in the shower, so I keep a cup of coins nearby so we can pick the lock. It helps to have a garage sink, and I will not go into what we have sometimes used it for.:glare: It also helped, psychologically at least, when we bought an old RV and put it in the driveway for our son to live in. So technically we have two bathrooms now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 It's been YEARS and a few kids ago since we had only one bathroom in the house, but it appears that when we move, we will need to learn to function without the luxury of 2 or 3 bathrooms. Does anyone have any tips? Schedules? Shower time limits? I imagine we'll promote the use of mirrors in bedrooms (may need better lighting), dressing only in bedrooms and not the bathroom, hanging towels in bedrooms??? I'm sure we'll survive. Years ago they had only one outhouse for large families! But the thought of a chamber pot sounds more appealing than it ever has before. And has anyone made a liquids-only alternative with a basement drain successfully? (Ewww... can't believe I'm asking, but we've had three bathrooms. This is going to take some getting used to!) LOL Well, we currently have 2 1/2 bathrooms for 3 people, but before that had only one bathroom our entire married life. I also grew up with only one bathroom---as a matter of fact, there was one summer we went without indoor plumbing. We survived. My best friend had a family of 7 with one bath. They just had to get in and get out and you waited your turn if you had to go. As teens, when I spent the night there, we would get our shower and then put make-up on and fix our hair in the bedroom she shared with two other siblings. I don't remember it being so horrible. I think we've all gotten soft in the society we live in now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Be encouraged. Only one bathroom to clean!! My coworker swears their family is so close because they have had only one bathroom the whole time her dc were growing up (3 dc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sandy, what do you do when you have multiple kids than need to go #2? When I had a 1 bath a couple times a year all the kids would get the runs. We were miserable. Should she have an emergency toilet? Like one of the camping ones? I really hate this topic but I'm guessing this is her worse case scenario. Any suggestions? I"d have to have a camping toilet for backup..... it would never work here otherwise! LOL!! Heck, we have 3 in the house and there are still issues. (and i do have a child with bathroom issues - so it's very real to me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIY-DY Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Sandy, what do you do when you have multiple kids than need to go #2? When I had a 1 bath a couple times a year all the kids would get the runs. We were miserable. Should she have an emergency toilet? Like one of the camping ones? I really hate this topic but I'm guessing this is her worse case scenario. Any suggestions? We've had one bathroom/toilet for two years now. Beat the heck out of the improvised one we had set up before we got the plumbing finished. So, that felt like quite the pampering when we could go *inside*! LOL! However, it's really not a problem. People queue up outside in the hallway, if they need to. No foul to shout through the door, "You need to hurry, there are people waiting!" Keeping magazines/books out of there does help. And yes, they really do learn not to wait until they haftagonow to go use the bathroom. (That, incidentally, is a fantastic trait for them to have when you're shopping in Sam's, at the other end of the store. We no longer have to bolt across the store once someone announces that they need to go. Bonus!) Other than that, all the same tips - you can remove the towel rack and put a bar w/ pegs up there. It'll hold a lot more towels and still allow them to dry. Dress in their rooms. Basically, though, it's just a matter of learning to be considerate of the needs of others in the home. That's the key, and it's an easy thing to learn. You'll be fine. There may be the occasional case where everyone in the family has Montezuma's Revenge at the same time. But there are occasional cases where vile things happen, no matter how many bathrooms you have. (However, if everyone is *that* sick, I think I'd go w/ a five-gallon bucket and trash bags, with strict instructions that no one is to move more than five feet from their assigned bucket, and they must let me know when it's been used so I can deal with it. ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 heck, dh and I used to fight when early married over who got the apt bathroom after we went out to Mexican ;) The other would have to go use the clubhouse bathroom and it was right by the gym and lots of traffic. So now we have 4 of us in the house with 3 toilets and there are many times a day all three are in use! So yes, I think some kind of liquid option may be needed but I have no ideas what!!! :001_huh: good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We only have one bathroom, and it usually is not an issue. I am the one that takes the longest because I have long curly hair which I comb through when in the shower. When I'm done showering, I put the cream in my hair and then leave the bathroom for a few minutes to diffuse-dry my hair. During that time, anyone can dart in to use the bathroom before I do my makeup. I also allow anyone to come in the bathroom to use it if they cannot wait or if they choose not to go outside. With all guys here, they have been known to pee outside. LOL (we have lots of inconspicuous places). The little guys take their showers at night. John and Aaron take their showers when they come home from work -- evenings. So, in terms of showers, we are on different schedules. For Sunday meeting, all 3 sons take their showers at night, I get up earlier than anyone to shower, then my husband showers, and then the bathroom is open for the three boys to use to tidy up/brush teeth. Also, the actual going to the bathroom should only take a few seconds. If not, like in my husband's case, he is learning how to improve his diet and water intake so that he isn't "stopped up." We all brush our teeth at night and Aaron and I wash our faces, but we're all on different schedules because we go to bed at different times. This is probably more info than you needed to know, but it really hasn't been a big issue at all for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritAnnia Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We've only ever had one bathroom and it's a teeny-tiny one at that. No electrical outlets in the bathroom mean we're not in there for extended times drying hair, etc. It's strictly for lavatory use and bathing, though my kids are older so we're well out of the "bathtime = playtime" years. Our rule is that we'll ask if anyone needs to use the toilet BEFORE we take a bath/shower. Any real lavatory emergency still takes precedence over bathing. You just make do with what you have and it becomes the norm :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 No electrical outlets in the bathroom mean we're not in there for extended times drying hair, etc. Same here. I blow dry my hair in the bedroom, and the electrical razor is used in the bedroom. In fact, if I had my choice of another room and a bathroom, I'd choose another room. It really causes such little distress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Friends of ours who have 3 kids and 1 bathroom recently put a sink/mirror/vanity thing in their hallway right outside their bathroom. The dad is pretty handy and plumbed it from the same wall the shower that is inside the bathroom is on. (That sentence was probably confusing - sorry.) Doesn't address the issue of only one potty, but it does help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We take a number[jk] . Seriously, though, each day we plan ahead so we all know when each person will be taking their shower. Otherwise, it becomes bad news if two of us decide on a whim to shower at the same time before heading out the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I grew up with one bathroom, but we only had four people and schedules didn't conflict too often. My mother went to work early and my dad was on shift work, so sis and I were the only two competing for the bathroom. Not really a problem. There's still one bathroom when we go visit and it still isn't much of a problem. We just have to respect each other and communicate about when everyone needs to take a shower. There's no doing hair and make-up for 45 mins. The biggest problem we had was coming home from the movies and fighting over who got the bathroom first. I think that if you're dealing with a lot of people sharing the bathroom, then a schedule for showers and such is a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaFran Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 If you have little kids you could keep an extra potty chair in another room. Or a bucket, even, for bigger kids or adults in an emergency. We keep a potty chair in the bathroom and an extra one in the basement for just in case or for the kids to use in an emergency if we have guests. We have a utility sink in the basement that I've used to wash that potty chair out with. We joke that we have a family bed and family bathroom. It isn't uncommon for someone to be in the shower, with a kid on the toilet, and another kid on the potty chair. And possibly someone coming in to use the sink. LOL! And we have a teeny tiny bathroom! To get all the way inside you have to close the door. It's doable but I still wish we had at least a spare toilet somewhere. I can see more issues as the kids get older. Oh, and 2 of us do have toilet/stomach issues so it does sometimes become a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 I"d have to have a camping toilet for backup..... it would never work here otherwise! LOL!! ) I did some checking on other sorts of toilets. There's something called a marcerating toilet which you can install most anywhere. Saniflo macerating toilet http://www.saniflo.com/press/online_pressroom/Saniflo_PR-13_Flexibility.html Video (G-rated, don't worry:o) Several videos on youtube about this... Less expensive options: http://www.easycaretoilet.com/ "Neutralizing Pooh Powder" sounds helpful. LOL http://www.easycaretoilet.com/site/779661/product//D105POW Eww! A cardboard toilet? "It can be used and reused many times when taken care of properly. " http://www.chemisan.com/product.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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