Help - Nephew Is Afraid of Automatic Flush Toilets!!!

My neice is afraid of them. I know her mom puts a piece of toliet paper over the "eye" and it doesn't flush until she's done. I don't if that's too complicated for a little guy to handle on his own though.

My daughter doesn't like them either. We drive from IL to NC and lots of the rest-stops have them. She is 7 now and has been afraid of them ever since she was potty trained. She says it is the noise that scares her (they do tend to be louder!)

Maybe try earplugs?

Otherwise, talk to him about it and tell him it's like magic- explain the motion sensor, etc. and ask him exactly what his fear is. Some of them are VERY strong and maybe he feels like it will pull him down into it?

Poor him! I hope you get it resolved soon.

Hugs,
M.

i thought i heard if you put something over the sensor like a bag or something it wouldn't sense his movement
when he's done he could take off the bag so it would flush

We did have this probem as well. As someone else suggested, coverin it helped. The trick to our problem was this. I gave my kids the small post-it notes. They are small enough to fit in their pockets. They are sticky and will stick to the toilet to cover the sensor. If you teach him how to do that, the problem is solved. And he won't have to tell anyone,he can put them in his pocket, and noone else has to know of his fear.
goodluck

My daughter was like this and I did two things; one cover the automatic part where it flushes. I did it and then let her cover it with a paper towel to feel like she has control over when it flushes. The other is, if it is loud, just have him go into the bathroom and get used to the loud flushing sound; when he is OK after he urinates let him begin to start letting it flush when he is comfortable. He will get used to it, the noise and especially if he can control it by covering the automatic flush part up and then letting it go.

I don't blame him. Some of those automatic ones are down right scary. I'd ask the school if there is a way to turn one of them off (maybe one not used by the general population) and see if they'd help with it. He may just need to get a little older before it's not so scary.

I'd second the post-it idea. A paper napkin, men's cloth handkerchief or similar larger piece of paper works, too. The biggest trick is to prove to them that they're in control; the next time you find a bathroom with several such stalls, have him go in and block and unblock the sensor on several of them.

At work we have several of them with the sensor up high, against the middle of your back. The slightest shift on the seat and you end up with a bidet! Several people at work have taken to covering the sensor with a piece of toilet paper, but it's a little tricker to balance. (If the bathroom has a paper towel dispenser for hand-drying, you can use one of those, too - convenient.)

The kindergarten class that my son was in had an old sock that they kept outside the bathroom for the children who did not like the automatic flusher. They would put it over the sensor for those children, so they could manually flush. I'm sure your nephew isn't the only child in the class that doesn't like it. He will outgrow it soon enough.

That is so funny because I thought I was the only one going through this!!! The minute we go in a public bathroom both my girls ask, does it flush by itself? I have to actually keep my hand over the motion detector for each of them or straddle the toilet behind them. I told them if they sit up straight and dont move it wont flush but they would rather pee in their pants. They dont have them in our schools thank god but if they did I dont know what I would do. Has anyone told the teacher? Maybe when he has to go potty the teacher will give him a piece of paper to tape over the sensor so it wont flush(if that works). That is the only thing I can think of. Good luck and let me know what works---PLEASE.

VERY common. My sons are also afraid of tghem...it is the noise factor. They think that they will get drawn in by the whoosh. But now, since their school has them, they feel that they don't have to flush when they get home because the whiiissshh will do it for them. ARGH. It is so annoying!

My son was also afraid of them due to the loud flushing sound. What we do is put something over the sensor. If I am with him I will cover it with my hand. If he is by himself, I have taught him to put tissue over it.

With my boys, I take and lay some toilet paper over the sensor that way it does not flush until they take it off! Good Luck hope that helps.

I got this tip from a mom in my MOPS group. She says to bring along post-it notes to put over the sensors. That way, it doesn't go off while a wee one is on the potty.
Maybe his mom could try sending him to school with some post-it notes. Tell him where to put them, and to be sure to take them off before he leaves the stall.
Too bad the school didn't think ahead when installing toilets and know that most kids are afraid of the automatic flushing toilets. Maybe his mom should bring that up to the administrators.
Good luck!!