https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:19:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1688362 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 09:03:25 +0000 lamariniere 1688362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: My LO manages to balance on the seat using his hands. There is no way I can hold him by the armpits as some suggested since he weighs around 40lbs. Of course if the seat is nasty, we either go elsewhere or find a tree. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1688267 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 08:37:03 +0000 looch 1688267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I stand my son on the toilet when they're really nasty, and he just pees standing up, shooting straight down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1688263 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 08:35:47 +0000 irene 1688263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone!!! This really really helps - it helps to know that a portable seat is not necessary. And I didn't know it is one of those things that highly depends on your LO. I will explore and probably purchase something like @sandy: suggested just in case.... I think it will help with road trips.</p> <p>Without the adaptive seat, wouldn't your LO fall into the public toilet? (FYI I also train mine directly on the big toilet as well, but can't imagine if he could sit and balance on the big toilet without the extra seat)</p> <p>@Sammyfab: Thank you for pointing me to that blog post I'd definitely check it out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687722 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:03:39 +0000 T-Mom 1687722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS is recently potty trained (hallelujah!). We trained him sitting down after trying to train him standing up caused him a little anxiety and now he sits down great and knows how to position himself.. Although public restrooms are often gross they are a fact of life and there is no way around them. I wipe down with TP and put down TP or seat cover (although let's face it, it doesn't stay in position and there's is lots of contact, what can you do). I actually do have a portable seat that folds into a bag but be doesn't like it and just prefers the regular seat. Good hand washing and taking deep breaths is the key to this phase :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687691 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:22:51 +0000 regberadaisy 1687691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is not fully potty trained yet but she had asked asked to go in a public toilet. I've also taken my niece before when she was young. </p> <p>I've done two things. One is hold them over the toilet if it's a particularly disgusting restroom. The other is line the toilet seat with tp and sit them on it. Before both I wipe down with tp and diaper wipe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687687 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:19:19 +0000 autumnlove 1687687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We brought the Baby Bjorn toilet trainer out with us the first month but now she is ok without it. We still have issues when we are out...not accidents but LO won't go if the bathrooms are noisy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687593 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:58:36 +0000 sandy 1687593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: we use this potty seat that is foldable and portable so it fits in my diaper bag easy peasy. It comes in a heavy duty bag and sits in a regular toilet and has little handles that fold out so LO doesn't touch the toilet. </p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016L0MMS?vs=1" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016L0MMS?vs=1</a></p> <p>You can also lock the sides and make it sit up like a little potty and buy a plastic liner or buy disposable liner bags to use on a road trip. I like the little potty option for when we're out at a park or beach and it's a long trek to a restroom. My LO has had no trouble transitioning from using a little potty to using a seat on a big potty </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687540 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:05:40 +0000 Andrea 1687540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always make sure to have her pee before leaving the house to minimize bathroom trips. We did not purchase a portable potty and have not needed it. She is fine using public restrooms. I wipe the seat and line it with paper before she sits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687520 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:36:39 +0000 MamaG 1687520@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm the non-germaphobe and most public restrooms as long as they are fairly clean don't bother me. I don't use a seat liner or squat personally, so I don't do it for my LO either. Our LO LOVES public restrooms. One some Target trips we go the bathroom more than once, even when we go just before leaving home. I keep hand sanitizer with me at all times. </p> <p>We also trained on the regular toilet with an insert. She learned at daycare to hold herself up and most often at home can get herself up on the seat as well (without a stool). I do lift her up typically in public.</p> <p>I know many of the males in her class use the potty standing up (she has tried to mimic this behavior at home). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687511 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:15:10 +0000 twinmama 1687511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For normal outings to one store, they pee at home before and when they get home, and very rarely have an accident. For longer outings or visiting family, I have a fold up seat. It's still kind of bulky, but folds in four and fits in my diaper bag easily. I find it SO much easier and they are much more likely to actually go when they have a small seat to get comfortable on. I tell them not to touch stuff, but with 2, they usually gettheir hands on something. I just make sure their hands get washed extra well. And if a bathroom was nasty, I would find somewhere else. </p> <p>Ours don't have issues going in public or others homes, or with the autoflushers, dryers, etc. We trained them on our big potty at home with a seat insert and stepstool and they do just fine. I think using the regular toilet at home helps? Both my son and daughter sit down for everything on the toilet. They won't be 2 until next month, so it will be awhile before we even think about standing to pee. It's non-essential in my opinion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687473 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:46:33 +0000 brownie 1687473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: We did not take a potty see with us. I just held him under his armpits. My friend used these: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Clean-Disposable-Potty-Protectors/dp/B00E4USQ94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1402256732&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=potty+seat+cover" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Clean-Disposable-Potty-Protectors/dp/B00E4USQ94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&#038;qid=1402256732&#038;sr=8-1&#038;keywords=potty+seat+cover</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687470 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:40:01 +0000 Sammyfab 1687470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mrs. High Heels just posted a blog post about public washrooms. There are some great suggestions in the comments too!</p> <p>We are going through a slow and steady process of potty training and my son is not a fan of public washrooms. He is extremely fearful of the hand-dryers and refuses to sit on the toilet. I bought a portable seat (the one linked in the blog post) and we have even brought our potty seat to use in the car. He refused to sit on a public toilet with the portable seat last night when we were out but I will keep trying. I was talking to my neighbour whose kids are turning 4 and 6 this year and they still do not like public washrooms and will hold it in until they get home. </p> <p>My honest plan is until we are 1000% potty trained, if we are out for a lengthy period of time (several hours), I will likely put him in underwear with a pull-up over top so that he will still feel the sensation of being wet if he has an accident.</p> <p>Oh, and about standing up and peeing. I don't know what age they are ready for this...I mean, most elementary students still sit... but it takes a lot of coordination to stand up, hold your penis and direct it into the toilet. Toddlers are far too young for this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687469 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:36:54 +0000 lamariniere 1687469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son was potty trained at 2.5. Luckily, we did it last summer so it was warm out. We would go to public toilets when available, and if not, hide behind some bushes or a tree (where we live, it seems to be acceptable for little boys to pee outside in public, but I get it if people don't like it. I would rather have a public pee than an accident). </p> <p>For public toilets I never had anything (we don't have a car, so nowhere to store a potty seat). I would wipe down the seat with a baby wipe before he sat on it and then scruuuuuub his hands as much as possible after. My son is pretty tall and about 6 months ago could stand at the toilet, so that's what we do now. If he has to poo, I will still wipe the toilet as much as possible beforehand. I have no idea what I'm going to do when DD is toilet trained! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687468 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:36:42 +0000 irene 1687468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@brownie: Do you have to buy a portable seat to bring along with you? If so, which one works best for you? Would it be super nasty and I have to wipe it down everytime we go to a public bathroom? I am now looking on Amazon on this and wonder which one I should buy... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687463 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:30:42 +0000 brownie 1687463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We trained ours on a big potty with a smaller seat on top. So we didn't have any problems with that. We trained him to pee sitting down. They have seat covers that have handles that my friend loved. I never worried about it. Just hold him under the armpits. We didn't have to worry about auto flushers either because they never bothered him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/potty-trained-toddler-vs-public-restrooms#post-1687453 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 14:09:55 +0000 irene 1687453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please pardon my ignorance, but what do you do when your toddler has just gotten potty trained, and you are out and about? Do you have to bring a portable toilet (assuming there is such a thing) for him/her, or do you just put him/her in the big toilet? And at times some public restrooms are really very nasty? Even if you are willing to put your toddler on the nasty public toilet, what if s/he doesn't want to go because it is really nasty? What if s/he throws a tantrum when you are making him/her go in a restroom that s/he is not comfortable with (and pooping and peeing "out of bounds" while s/he's at it lol)?</p> <p>For boys, do we train them to stand up and pee? But my husband has said, the toilet or urinal is usually too high for a toddler boy so he doesn't see how that could be done. Do you hold him up and let him aim at the toilet? (which sounds really weird, and I doubt my husband would be willing to do it. Argh)</p> <p>This has been a recently big question mark over my head. My son (2+ years old) is not potty trained yet. He has occasional pee pee and poo in the potty at home, but we are still wearing diapers/ training pants, and he seldom asked to use the potty when he needs to go. It is more like he "announces" it when he goes, but when asked if he wants to use the potty he says no. But apparently we will pass that bridge of using the public restroom very soon.</p> <p>So please shed some light for me - what do people do? What do you do? Advice please! </p>