My 2 1/2 year old is potty trained at home and at school but is terrified of public restrooms. She wants to wear her undies when she goes out but then holds it the whole time we are out or wets herself. She even screamed terribly when I took her into a stall for just me to go to the bathroom! She never used to be scared of restrooms. Lately she is now also afraid to use the toilet at school and holds it for several hours until she really has to go. At home she still uses the toilet but sometimes prefers to use the plastic Dora potty. Any suggestions? I am afraid that she is going to give herself a bladder infection holding it so long!
Thank you everyone for your valuable advice!! We were at the zoo today and again she would not even go into the restroom. Turns out I think a lot of it has to do with being upset about some extended travel that my husband was doing. He is home now and we plan to continue to be sensitive to her fears and go forward. I am getting one of those portable potties to put in the car for now and will see how things progress. I will likely progress to one of those fold up seats after she will go back into the restroom.
I would also like to say publicly that I again am thankful for everyone's valuable advice. Unfortunately there are people like Linda C that use this forum to judge people without knowing us or our parenting skills. I am a strong believer in preschool as an additional learning environment as well as to help her with social skills. For what it is worth she isn't there full time. Being a sensitive person I am done posting anything to this website because I don't appreciate being judged on my parenting skills.
Just wear pull ups out. If she is that freaked out just wear the pull ups on outings and bring spares. It saves her and you a freak out and you some laundry?!
If the Dora potty you're talking about is the kind that sits on top of a regular toilet, maybe you could take that with you when you go out and get her to use it in a stall. If it's the kind that has the bowl in it, you might need to let her do it in your vehicle. I don't know if I would want to start that or not, but it might help her realize she can go other places. Good luck! We're just starting on this and I haven't been brave enough to let my son leave the house with underwear on yet!
Hmmm, something has happened to scare your daughter so much. Have you talked to her about why she's scared? Who else takes your daughter out into public? Have you talked to them to see if they're having the same issues with her? Have you spoken to her teachers?
In the meantime, you can purchase a fold up potty seat that you can carry in a bag and put onto the toilet. It's smaller, so no worries about falling in, you know that it's clean, and it would be familiar to her. Seriously, if she was fine before, and suddenly violently objects to using a public toilet. Something has traumatized her. You just need to figure out what and try to fix it.
Good luck
My daughter didn't like public toilets either at that age. We bought her one of the fold-up plastic seat covers they sell at Babies R Us and let her decorate it with some princess stickers she picked out. Then she was excited to use her "own" special toilet when she was out and about. Maybe you could also have a treasure bag available from which she can pick one surprise each time. You've really got to make it worth her while to overcome her fear. Good Luck!
My little sister used to be frightened of the loud flushing on public toilets (she and I were both auditorially sensitive as kids). She would scream and cry if she was in the stall while it was flushing. My mom kept a little portable potty in the trunk of her car (for all of us to use). She'd just find a private spot for us to use it. That doesn't help you if YOU have to "go" though, huh?
I don't think this is too unusual.
Good luck!
T
My daughter is not potty trained yet so I dont know if I can give the best advice but....what if you just keep reasuing her(as I am sure you already are) and when you go to a place where there are public restrooms bring along a toilet insert....(you place them on the ring of a reg toilet to create a kid seat)....and maybe try getting her off the training potty even at home.....
Both of my girls (now 4 and 2) don't like the loud flushing of the public potty (that is taller than them), especially the self flushing ones that usually flush early when they are on them = trauma! They cover their ears, but they still go! I had a whole other idea for you, but I asked my 4 year old and she thought that if you taught her to plug her ears and close her eyes and talk to herself, she wouldn't be able to hear the flushing and it may be less scary? My idea was more like the lady that said to take a potty in the car and let her go before the store. My 4 hear old isn't nearly as sensitive to this issue as she used to be, so it may just be another phase some kids go through! Some ideas anyway. . . Good Luck!
There is a plastic fold-up Dora potty! It fits in your bag. It looks like a potty seat. You set it on top of the toilet, just like you'd put down a disposable liner. It's reusable. Good luck!
You can find them at Wal-Mart and online.
I think it is pretty common for small children to be scared of the potty. I remember my nephew would not go poop anywhere but his house. They would come to town and stay the night, and she would have to put a pull up on him to poop.
I would be curious as to why your child has suddenly become scared though. If this is a new thing, then something might have happend to freak her out. I am not trying to scare you, but I would check into it further.Good luck :)
Hello!
Could she be scared of the self-flushig toilets? You/she could put a sticky note over the "eye" of those. Then the sensor is disabled and in it will only flush when you are ready to.
D.
