DD is afraid of public restrooms

[Neera]

I restarted dd's potty training/learning in Dec. She pees in her potty without any problems and has recently started peeing in the toilet, doesn't poop though. However, when we are out she refuses to use the public toilets. She is afraid of the loud flushes, the sound of the fan and the hand dryers freak her out. when she was in diapers she didn't like it then either but, now she has to sit on the toilet seat which is so close to the flush and everything else also is just more exaggerated to her, somehow. She holds her pee for as long as she can but, I don't want her to hold it for long periods. When we r out I first put on her panties and then a pull-up to be on the safe side.

Anybody else experience this problem. TIA for your help.

[woodchick]

DD1 had an issue with 'big potties' for a while when she was potty learning. We had a Baby Bjorn Llittle Potty that fit inside a little cloth tote. I just brought it along wherever we went and cleaned it out after each use.

It was a bit of a bother, but that phase only lasted a few months before she was over it.

[JBaxter]

those automatic flushers are scary. My 6 yr old makes me go in and check to see if they have them before HE will us the toilet in public places. Hugs is about all I can say.

[Ruthie's momma]

DD, 2.5 yo, is just getting over her fear of using public toilets. For the first couple of months, I would carry the Baby Bjorn Little Potty with us (and keep it in the trunk). Over time, her fears have calmed. Apart from mere exposure, some other approaches have helped:

1) Covering the sensor on automatic flush toilets with my hand (while DD was using the potty) helped DD overcome the fear of not knowing when the toilet was going to flush.

2) Teaching DD how to flush the public toilets may have given her a sense of control over the flushing.

3) Flushing the toilet for her so that she can stand a "safe" distance away and cover her ears (or cover her ears for her while she flushes the toilet...).

4) Referring to public toilets as special...for example, "Let's go use the Special Target/Nordstrom/grocery store/Starbucks/etc. potty before we go shopping/get something to drink!!! You can watch Momma go potty and then you can go too, if you would like!"

5) Emphasizing how we will be able to wash our hands and make bubbles in the sink after we have gone potty (DD is into most anything involving water and bubbles).

[sapphire_chan]

Carry a pad of post-its and put one over the sensor. Or if you forget those, grab a paper towel and wet it to put over the sensor.

For when you flush it yourself, do you tell her it's going to happen and that it will be loud but okay? And do you open up the stall door first to reduce echoing?

[crl]

DS is very noise-sensitive. We ended up with noise protection headphones: http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/...-Earmuffs.html They were a bit inconvenient to carry around (I ended up with a bigger purse), but they completely solved DS' public restroom issues. He voluntarily stopped using them about 5 months ago--not too long after turning 6.

Catherine

[Neera]

Hi,

Since she has learned to pee in a potty/toilet we haven't encountered an automatic flush. But, it's something she is afraid of. Will remember the tips. There's a manual one at her toddler program that we r usually faced with. I did say that the flush was so great because the ones at home are so much slower and she found that funny and even asked to go but only once. She regressed the next time we were there. I think I will start carrying a potty. And at home dh sometimes makes her use a regular headphone when we use the vacuum or the blender - I haven't checked out the link yet. I definetly think that shud be helpful as well. Its just that we don't really have to use it much at home so, I forgot about it.

thanks for ur help.