My son is almost 4 and potty training went great...until we took a trip to New Orleans a few months back. Before the trip he would use public bathrooms without issue. Now that he's experienced the automatic flush toilets in airports, etc. he will only use the potty at home or at his school (both have "normal" manual flush). He even refuses to do # 2 on the potty at home. Has anyone experienced their kids having a fear of automatic flushers? How did you overcome it? Any advice is appreciated.
Post it notes! Another mom suggested it to me after her daughter got very upset about the flush. It helps them not flush until you want them to. Give him the post it and give him the power to control it.
I'll vote for the post it notes too! The auto flush totally messed up potty training for months! (My DD STILL covers her ears when she sees it's there and jumps off the toilet SO fast!) We could probably all go into business renaming post-it-notes to be "magic flush blockers" and make a mint!
Good luck!
My daughter is similar, though not the toilets. Now, a lot of public places have those hand dryers where you stick you hand in and slowly pull them out and it dries them. They are noisy. If we are in a bathroom and one goes off, she will not use it. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it. But with this auto flushes, you can put a piece of paper or use your hand over the sensor until your son is finished. then it won't flush--or at least shouldn't until he is done.
I always keep post it notes in my bag to put over the sensor. Put it on the second you get into the stall and don't take it off until you are totally ready to leave the stall.
It takes a bit to warm them back up after this happens. I would go to the bathroom first to show them that it does not flush anymore then have them try. It doesn't really work if they have to go now as you can't go first. Try at a time when they don't have to go but you do and have them try. I always had them stand with their back to the door so they'd be the furthest away when I took the post it off in the beginning. It did take a couple times before it worked but it did work. Another option is if you're not in a hurry and in a non-crowded bathroom to just put the post it on and take it off a couple times when no one is going to show them how it works.
Post it note over the "eye"!
The first time my daughter experienced one of those "auto" flushers... we were on vacation. In Pigeon Forge TN, after watching the Dixie Stampede, she needed to "go" and it took as a while to get in there as there was a huge crowd of people all trying to exit the building at the same time. When we Finally got in there she was rushing, hopped up, went, and as she started to get up WHAMO! She SCREAMED!!!! I mean, like Shrieked like a banshee Screamed. There was ONE other lady in the restroom, and I just KNEW that she thought I was abusing my daughter. It is funny now... but my daughter was SO scared by that thing. She was in tears after the initial shriek. She still doesn't like them (she is 9 now)....but I learned to cover the "sensor" thingee so that she could get up first before it went off. She got so that she would look to see if it was an auto-flush before she would agree to use that bathroom. And this was my child that LOVED to use public bathrooms! (What an adventure! lol).
Personally, I am not a big fan of those things either. :/
Can you just explain to him that there is a little laser light sensor thingee, and when he moves it 'reads' that he is done, and so it flushes the potty so that no one forgets to. I have heard of some moms carrying post-it notes and sticking one over the sensor while their child used the potty. Maybe try that, show him that it won't go off until you remove the sticky note (and press the button?)...
My daughter is totally freaked out by them too! We just lay a peice of toilet paper over them and then remove it when she's done!
Yes, my son went through it. We just gave it time, and he outgrew it. We always made sure to have him use the potty before we left home so he wouldn't have to go while we were away. We didn't often go anywhere for the whole day, though. He might be more comfortable in public restrooms that only have one toilet because it's more like what he's used to at home. Boston Market restaurants usually have those. We used to stop there to use the bathroom. I think he liked not being in a little stall, and that I could be in there with him.
Also, you could show him that if there's a handle, it won't flush by itself.
About the poop issue, some kids don't like the sensation of it falling from their body. My 3 yr. old DD is going through that. She's otherwise trained. I just try to be patient, and tell her there's nothing to be scared of- she's ok.
She's my 4th, and I've found that they get it eventually so I don't stress out too much about it.
Hang in there! :)
Post it notes! No joke bring a block of them with you everywhere you go. cover up the sensor before your son goes into the stall that way it doesn't trigger until you want it too. Them things scare me sometimes too! anyhow that's what we do! Best of luck
Yes, my daughter was terrified....this sounds silly but I took her in the bathroom multiple times without the intent of having her use the automatic potty & we just kind of played with the sensor and talked and laughted about it. Then she got over it. Like the other ladies say just keep a portable potty in the car! Hope it helps.
A.
Many have said Post It notes great idea but do kids really just want a piece of paper I would do stickers kids love them & just ask them to put it over the eye (sensor).
This happened a few times to my oldest I just expalined to them that it is an automatic toilet that flushes they shrugged it off & were ok with it now on my third maybe she'll be different & afraid of them who knows but stickers is my choice,& the Dollar tree kids will not stay they come right off of everything
We had the same proble. My daughter was potty trained for 2 1/2months and she was traumized for 10 months then gradually stopped being scared. I bought this little potty that resembled a food tray. I carried it with us everywhere for ten mo. Hang in there I feel your pain. I even lugged that toilet with us to Disney.
I hate the auto flushers too, especialy when you are not expecting it.
My middle child had the same issue. One auto flush and she was scared you know what less, at least in public, for years. She is 14 now, and can use a public restroom, even with an auto flush, so they do get over it.
Since it is the getting off the toilet that triggers it, maybe you could put some tissue over the sensor for him, and show him that he can control when it flushes. Go to the mall in the family restrooms and practice with him when he does not need to go, and maybe if he has some control, it will make a difference.
I feel your pain. My mother once bribed her to use a rest room at Disney with a Jasmine doll...she could not beleive that she paid $40 bucks to get her to tinkle.
M.
My kids would still completely freak out when there were automatic flushers even when the eye was covered. I just bought a few training potties and kept them in every trunk of every car I own. We made sure to go before we left and usually could make it back before having to go again, otherwise we used the "little" potty and put it in the stall for them to use next to the scary toliet. (and yes one even went with us to the airport in my carry on!). It's totally normal and by 5 or 6, they are fine with using the automatic one.
Definitely post-its! My oldest would FLIP OUT with those evil toilets! She would ask if a bathroom had a "magic" potty before she would go near it (how she heard "automatic" was "magic"...it was cute:)...)
Good luck and just know that it gets better and it all goes so fast so enjoy it!
Yes! Both of my oldest were scared. Take a piece of toilet paper and put it over the sensor before your baby sits. Let 'em know, show him it won't flush.
My dgd does not like those things either! It's the noise - they always seem SO LOUD! - and that they go off unexpectedly! She will sometimes wait too long to go, and then she see one of "those" and will cover her ears and try to do it quickly - wanting to bound out of the stall before it goes off!
Something similar happened to my daughter. Now, she asks me every time if the toilet will flush automatically.
I sometimes cover the sensor with my hand so that way, if she moves, it does not flush. The sound is what bothers her.
Good luck- I hope he overcomes this quickly!
My 5 yr old still doesn't like those automatic flushers. Most bathrooms have potty seat covers. I just use one of those and try to tuck in around the silver square that the "eye" is in. That way it won't go off until we flush it. I've used toilet paper and sticky notes too! Once your son is convinced it won't flush, he should be ok. Good luck!
Bless your heart. My daughter wasn't crazy about the automatic flushers either, but she misheard me and called them "magic" flushers instead of automatic flushers, and somehow that made them cool. Go figure.
I hope some of the great suggestions here work for you and your little man.
