https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:01:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2364165 Thu, 19 Nov 2015 22:03:48 +0000 SweetCaroline 2364165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read any other comments, but make sure you put a pack of sticky notes in your purse. Put one over the sensor on automatic flush toilets before she sits down.</p> <p>Also, what about ear plugs? You could easily find hot pink ones and make it a game? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2363915 Thu, 19 Nov 2015 19:51:56 +0000 Charm54 2363915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@irene: thank you SO MUCH - those tips are amazing!! Going to try them and hope they help </p> <p>@lemondrop: it's the hand dryer that freaks DD out too. I really like the "no big deal" mantra - I think that's something that could really help my LO too!</p> <p>@creativemomma15: ugh we haven't even been to an automatic flusher yet, I can only imagine the stress that would cause !</p> <p>@lamariniere: that's what I'm hoping...that it's a phase and will pass eventually. Thanks :heart: </p> <p>@TrailRunner: oh that's a great tip!! Definitely going to pack some post it notes in my diaper bag for Disney </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359222 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 07:52:43 +0000 TrailRunner 2359222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No help, but I just wanted to throw this out there in case somebody didn't know, but if you put a post it note over the sensor of the automatic toilets it will stop it from flushing when you don't want it too. I learned this little trick thanks to morning sickness! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359155 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 03:21:54 +0000 lamariniere 2359155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We dealt with this with my son. He's almost 5 and is still afraid of hand dryers and loud toilets. We don't use hand dryers when we go in because he freaks out. We just have to hurry in, get the business done and leave quickly with wet hands. Not much advice other than to say it's a phase and it will pass. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359128 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 00:55:02 +0000 creativemomma15 2359128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has a hard time with this... He really doesn't like the automatic flushers and not knowing when something will be noisy. Honestly, he puts his hands over his ears all the time in public bathrooms! We talk through it and he still likes the cover his ears. He will always ask if the potty will "go by itself". It's frustrating at times but we have thankfully gotten to the point where he is okay if he can cover his ears. Before we had lots of crying over it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359123 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 00:33:49 +0000 lemondrop 2359123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm living this dream right now! @irene: 's advice is spot on for what we are doing too :) </p> <p>For us it's the hand dryer noise, so every day after school (trying to keep school as positive as possible) we go into the outdoor bathroom after school and practice (we always make a pit stop anyway before getting to the car). He has to go potty in there in order to go down the slide and walk around the school busses (his reward). </p> <p>We chant, "no big deal" over and over (this worked with his fear of the garbage truck) and I spoil the heck out of him with tootsie pops when he does great (jackpot!). </p> <p>We have totally been down the road of someone else in the bathroom turns on the hand dryer and he's rolling on the floor crying and screaming and trying to crawl away. I've shown him my hair dryer a few times, and he says, "no big deal, like hair dryer" but he's not quite believing it yet, but it is a similar noise. On days that my husband can come with me, I have him wait out front to turn on the dryer while C is still peeing so he hears it. I've also had C stand on the outside and watch my husband dry his hands, "daddy's ok, no big deal." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359092 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 23:40:09 +0000 irene 2359092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, this was me last year!!!!!! Hugsss</p> <p>Breathe. This will be resolved. I had the exact same experience as you. DS would rather die than pee in a bathroom other than his own bathroom at home, and the one at school. He also would rather hold to death than peeing in his pull up. One time he was holding like crazy and crying, we were nowhere near home and I took him into a public bathroom in home depot or something, he actually rolled on the PUBLIC BATHROOM FLOOR (!!!!) and cried and he still wouldn't go. Yikes. We were preparing for our trip to Hong Kong back then, and I had to resolve the problem within 2 weeks. I am shocked I was actually able to turn the ship around. This is what I did:</p> <p>1. Talk to your daycare teacher. Ask them to talk to your child daily about how when we are at a resturant, when we are outside, and when we need to go, it is OK to go to a bathroom other than the one at home. That's what everyone does. Your daycare teacher has to talk to your child patiently, in depth, every day to reinforce the idea that it is OK. That's what everyone does. And how if your child doesn't do that, teacher will find out from mommy and daddy.</p> <p>2. I emailed our pediatrician. His wife is a child psychologist. They suggested that we got a bunch of very cheap toys from dollar tree and such (Not stickers, not food) . Each time he pees in a public bathroom, he will get to pick a small toy from your "treasure bag". When he get a hang of it, slowly wean him off of the toy to 2 times = 1 toy, 3 times=1 toy...etc.</p> <p>3. Our pediatrician + his wife also said, the key is no matter what you do, do NOT stress out, and do NOT make it a big deal. Do not put any focus on if she must use the public bathroom. This is feeding her anti-public-bathroom-sentiments. Just chill out. TALK HER EAR OFF both at school and at home. </p> <p>4. Luckily our ship has turned around with just the first 3 steps. If it still didn't go anywhere, I was prepared to make an appointment with our pediatrician and let the authority explain to him that that's what we do. It is very normal to use the public bathroom. I think the key is she needs multiple very trustworthy and knowledgable source to tell her that it is OK to use the public bathroom.</p> <p>So with us, after talking his ear off and telling him that there is a treasure bag with goodies, one day when we were out running errands, we asked hey, do you think you can give it a try, and try out to pee in a public bathroom? DS magically actually said yes. Husband pulled into a pretty quiet Sheraton (hotel), and I took him to the restroom, which is very big, clean and quiet. He did his business (!!!!!), and we get back to the car, cheered and let him pick a toy. The rest was history.</p> <p>Mind you, mine wasn't afraid of the noises. So you may have to figure that one out. I would say email your pediatrician, I am sure your daughter is not the first one and he/she will have very good suggestions for you.</p> <p>ETA: I just suddenly wonder - what would happen if you play the hand dryer noise (on an ipad or something, I am sure you can find a hand dryer noise video from youtube) at her home and see if she can pee with the noise? Maybe play that noise as she's peeing, soft at first, and gets a bit louder and louder and practice like that? Maybe she can associate that noise as bathroom noise and it is OK to release and go even though there is that noise?</p> <p>Good luck to you!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359067 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 22:45:28 +0000 Charm54 2359067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@misolee: yes it's really the hand dryer noise that freak her out the most. Good tip on bringing paper towels with us!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359061 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 22:40:49 +0000 misolee 2359061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No real advice but we went to Disney when LO was newly potty trained. She doesn't mind the toilets but she hated the hand dryers (still does). Disney does not have any paper towels in their restrooms. Only the dryers so I would bring a stash with me from the hotel's lobby bathroom so she can dry her hands. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lo-is-petrified-of-public-washrooms#post-2359023 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 21:58:47 +0000 Charm54 2359023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD (2yo) has not been a fan of public washrooms ever since she was 12 months old and I took her to a particularly noisy one. It wasn't a big deal after that because I would just change her diaper in the car, but now she's potty trained and I don't know what to do. She absolutely refuses to pee in public. She starts clinging and crying even before we get in and saying "no noise, no noise". :sad: </p> <p>We've tried:<br /> -bringing her small portable potty (she will sit on it in the stall but not pee because she's so afraid of the loud noises (the hand dryer)<br /> -bribing her with treats<br /> -distracting her with my phone<br /> -showing her what the hand dryer does and that it doesn't hurt (FAIL)<br /> - taking her into quiet one room stalls (she's still so on edge).</p> <p>Today we drove home from my ILs, 8 hours with multiple stops. She didn't pee once that whole time. I even put a pullup on her and told her she could pee in that but she said diapers were for babies. She's not a fearful child of anything else so it's so out of character for her. </p> <p>What do I do?!?! I'm nervous because we are going to Disney World in March and loud, public bathrooms will be the norm... Any ideas?? Is this something she will grow out of as we keep practicing? </p>