Fucking hand dryers.

[SwanShaped]

My kid won’t go in any toilet with one in it. Which is almost all of them! Argh!!!!!!

I'm pretty sure blokes sticking their dick into an airblade must be an urban myth, think about it, how would that even work if they were erect, they'd have to stand upside down! Maybe one man has done it somewhere but I doubt there is an epidemic of literal hand drier fucking.

Do people not find the sound of hand dryers and motorbikes painful as adults? I always have, haven't grown out of this however would not expect people not to use them, nor avoid toilets myself due to them. And I wouldn't ask people not to use them or go around turning them off for the sake of my children even if they don't like them. There are things it's reasonable to avoid and things it isn't.

I did once help a little boy in burger king get over his fear! He was with his grandmother and wouldn't come near the hand dryer which meant he wouldn't leave the toilet. It was one that had a blue light that turned on and illuminated glitter in the wall so I said to him in a conspiratorial tone I know it's loud, but it's just the sound of the air and if you put your hands under here you can see a magic light! He wasn't sure but said I could show him so I dried my ha ds and he liked the light so much he decided to have a go as well.

I would not have been able to have that result with my own DC. I think I as always too anxious about their fear.

@Holidaytan

They blow all sorts of filth and germs over your hands due to sucking the air from the toilet room and the mould growing from the damp. I never use them.

I use them. I seem to be OK. I do sympathise with children finding them loud though.

Ds was like this from age 3 and it carried on when he was at school. The hysterical screaming/kicking off stopped after he went in to one at softplay at the same time as 2 friends and watched them use one and come out unscathed but he still wouldn't use them himself!
The way it stopped- took him to breakfast club at school which had moved to a new building. He went into wash his hands before going in and came out looking horrified saying "there was only a handdrier". At which point the breakfast club lady said "Yes Minivanilla, the toilets here only have handdriers. Please go in and use one." At which he said OK, went in and used the handdrier and had used them without issue ever since! Obviously he listens to the ladies at breakfast club far more than me!

Start a campaign with local shops etc. However unless a child has a disability (including waiting for diagnosis) then they will need to learn to go to toilets that have them.

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hand-drying/faq-20443044

Well at least it seems most kids have grown out of it! Or maybe some random stranger like bertie or dinner lady will help her suddenly get over it.

paper towels/handryers

We have this problem- I absolutely hate the things and they terrified my child, though as they get older they find it easier to handle. I usually have ear defenders handy and I have been known in extremis to take them into the disabled cubicle in really loud ones like motorway services. Yes, I’m going to get flamed for that but child has a diagnosed disability, part of it is sensory issues with loud noises, so I think it’s reasonable.

Other thing we did a while ago is some “gradual exposure” to a similar noise from a very loud hairdryer. Letting them be in control, starting on a gentle setting and gradually get used to the noise. It’s not magic but it does help.

I don't think the bacteria thing is a myth. People requested them in my hostel and a hospital I worked in and were told no in both cases because they aren't hygienic enough.

Mi kids never grew out of it but they both turned out to be autistic with noise sensitivity issues.

Neither of them were scared of the sound, but it caused an intense, physical pain.

Have you tried ear defenders (at 19 dd just puts in her noise cancelling ear buds.

@Gilead

paper towels/handryers

That’s the article I read! It was really interesting

It gets even more tricky when they start school and refuse to go anywhere near the toilets due to the hand dryers…..

I wonder why children’s hearing has become more sensitive over time. It definitely is an issue for some children but I don’t thing it used to be so common?

Yes my DC is the same, we usually go in a baby change toilet or disabled loo as they tend to be single toilets, so only us in there, otherwise he'd just hold it in until he had an accident.

I think I may have read on MN many years ago that someone said hand dryers were baby dragon's practising for when they were big fire breathing dragons. Not sure if it was a Mum who told their child that or a fantasy of the child. Cute though.

I wonder why children’s hearing has become more sensitive over time. It definitely is an issue for some children but I don’t thing it used to be so common?

When I was a small child, a lot of public toilets didn’t have hand dryers, just those things with a towel that went round in a loop (which in hindsight are totally disgusting!). And when there were dryers, they either didn’t work or blew out so little air that noise wasn’t really an issue!

I think I wasn’t just meaning hand dryers. There seem to be an increasing number of children who are sensitive to noises.

@Yellowmellow2

I think I wasn’t just meaning hand dryers. There seem to be an increasing number of children who are sensitive to noises.

Maybe it's because there is so much noise now? People are totally inconsiderate about noise - loud parties, loud music, listening to videos without headphones, particularly loud exhausts. I think noise pollution is a really big problem.

OP can you take a small hand-towel around with you? Though it doesn't solve the issue of getting them into use the loo in the first place. Wil they wet themselves rather than go in?