Why is it important to have a lock in the room?

Whenever I visit a couple with children, I notice. Do they have a lock on the bedroom door? It might seem like a strange obsession, but for me, it's a small detail full of meaning. Because putting a lock on a door isn't just installing a mechanism; it's setting a boundary and protecting a private space.

When there isn't one, the implicit message is that we are available at any time. And yes, it's true that our children need us and we want to be there for them. But what about us? What about the couple? What about those moments when we also need to be alone, talk, hug, or simply rest without fear of someone walking in unannounced? It's inevitable to wonder if we'll experience our sexuality with the same spontaneity knowing that, at any moment, the door could open.

Furthermore, putting a lock on the door is also a way of educating. We teach our sons and daughters that privacy is a right, and so is that of adults. That before entering, one must knock and wait for a response. That loving doesn't mean having unlimited access to the other. That boundaries don't push people away, but rather protect relationships. And that everyone needs their own space where they feel safe.

Paradoxically, as children grow, they are the first ones to demand that we knock before entering their room. And they are right. But privacy doesn't suddenly appear in adolescence; it's built from a young age, by observing how adults also value it.

In conclusion, having a lock on the bedroom door is about taking care of the couple's relationship. It's about reminding ourselves that, before being a mother or father, we are also individuals, partners, lovers. And that preserving this space isn't an act of selfishness, but a way of nurturing a bond that sustains the entire family.