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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...to expect places catering for toddlers to have potties?

100 replies

LizziePizzie · 30/03/2012 10:08

I have recently potty trained my DD (21 months) and I am at the constantly-carrying-around-a-potty stage at the moment. I have a potette that I take with me everywhere but that is not the point of this rant. Why do places that cater for LOs not supply their own potties? I am talking about play groups, soft play areas etc.

Some more modern public toilets have the mini toilets and adult toilets, but they are few and far between. I am not expecting all village halls, community centres, soft play areas to re plumb their toilets, but why is there not a potty in the toilet along with the changing table?

OP posts:

Blu · 30/03/2012 10:52

Actually, I think places catering specifically for children - such as soft play - should have v small child size toilets, like they do in infant schools.
With a portable step.

Communal potties would be a hygiene nightmare.

Catsdontcare · 30/03/2012 10:59

Get a grip and hold her over the toilet. Good grief!!!!

2shoes · 30/03/2012 11:00

YABVU
take your own

Mrsjay · 30/03/2012 11:01

Imo most people would think ewwww @ other potties and it would be a health thing too , I would never expect a pottie when mine were little , and at 21 months the toddler can perch on the loo , When mine were little a place we went to had a toilet for littlies ,

cheesesarnie · 30/03/2012 11:01

eurgh. could you imagine.

hold her over the tiolet.
potettes fold small, whats wrong with that?

NoMoreInsomnia12 · 30/03/2012 11:02

YANBU

A couple of places we go to - play group etc - do have a potty in the toilet, so I don't see why other places catering specifically for toddlers can't manage it.

However, it is a very brief phase before they start using a toilet, and then do so without needing a step or seat.

belgo · 30/03/2012 11:03

My girls were potty trained at around this age, and most potties and toilet potty seats were too bug for them.

You just have to hold her over the toilet.

belgo · 30/03/2012 11:04

big not bug!

Chandon · 30/03/2012 11:04

potties are a ridiculous concept anyway.

better to potty train to toilet directly

jester68 · 30/03/2012 11:04

I think it is the problem of people not cleaning the potties after use.

At our local toddler group they do have a potty in the toilet as well as a toilet trainer seat plus the normal pull down changing unit as well as another change mat.

But with the potty I have known people not even empty it after their toddler has used it- which is gross!

The room does have antibacterial spray and wipes so changing mats/potties etc can be cleaned after use but some people just don't bother.

And saying an under 2 can't use a toilet is silly. When my eldest was being potty trained we would just hold her while she sat on the toilet and she was fine.

We also had the potette which was great and we have kept it for our second who will probably start potty training this year. But mostly we used it if we could not get to a toilet, or took it with us on long drives.

Mrsjay · 30/03/2012 11:04

My dds are older but when we went to play group they did have potties but they were always washed and disinfected , I did it a few times when i was on duty , but in public places you cant always guarantee th e potty would be cleaned

Lexie1970 · 30/03/2012 11:26

Can only add as others have - why on earth can you not hold her on the toilet - had no issues doing that with my son when he was small.

Honestly think you are creating a problem that doesn't exist!

Getbusywiththefizzy · 30/03/2012 11:28

I worked in a child-friendly cafe a few years ago but we didn't supply potties, because there was no way on earth we were going to clean up someone else's shit. Apart from how demeaning that would be to staff and how unreasonable it would be to ask it of them, it would contravene good hygiene standards/laws and add to their duties (when they're already paid rubbish wages). Staff would have to have separate gloves and cleaning products and equipment, etc., to deal with it and have to keep constantly checking to see if it was clean or not. If an adult doesn't flush the loo or leaves a skid , all staff have to do is flush it or squirt some bleach down it. Even if every parent whose child used the potty cleaned it well after use, staff would still have to clean it at least at the end of the day to keep it decent. Wiping dishes, surfaces and floors - yes. Wiping the remains of human excrement? Er, NO.

NoMoreInsomnia12 · 30/03/2012 11:31

I can understand with a cafe, less so with somewhere specifically for toddlers, such as a playgroup.

TheProvincialLady · 30/03/2012 11:34

I have said this before, but why do a lot of people seem to think that the world needs to cater for their child's every specific need? How about if you just take the stuff your child needs with you? A potette is neither heavy nor bulky and don't they also convert into toilet seats for just this eventuality? Mine did, or else I just held them while they sat on the loo. No child of mine ever had its arse drowned or sustained life long toilet trauma due to this practice.

valiumredhead · 30/03/2012 11:35

I just used to take a small folding potty in my bag - it was so compact it hardly weighed anything or I held ds over the toilet. I can't imagine carting a proper potty around with me.

WibblyBibble · 30/03/2012 11:39

Dd2 is tiny (83cm/12kg at 2 and a quarter) but can sit on a loo if I hold her- you need to hold them kind of under their arms and let them grab onto you, but even small ones can sit on a toilet seat (I never carry one, too much faff). It doesn't look comfortable but is probably better than using a communal potty! Some of our toddler groups do have them but I honestly prefer her to sit on the toilet.

Sunnywithachanceofshowers · 30/03/2012 11:48

YABU. Have you ever been a cleaner? It's bad enough cleaning loos without having to clean a potty.

Glittertwins · 30/03/2012 11:53

I used to hold DD on full size toilet at 2.4 yrs or use the potette. I would never ever use a communal potty, that's just gross. The contents after DS finished were bad enough to clean out without having to clean up some other child's mess. I see enough children's toilets where they are unflushed, wee all over the floor so if parents can't even manage to make a loo clean, then no way would they have consideration with a potty.

Firawla · 30/03/2012 11:54

they have toilets... if your child is small just hold onto her and she will be fine

pottys are gross at the best of times - a communal potty from soft play would most likely be just disgusting. yabu

Treefutom · 30/03/2012 11:57

I just thankful that most places don't have a skanky potty in them! Yuck! I, like many others, carried a portable toilet seat with me until dd was happy on the toilet.

Pippinintherain · 30/03/2012 12:00

YABU.

It would be gross.

Just hold her over the toilet, it won't kill her.

Floggingmolly · 30/03/2012 12:07

Just how tiny is she? . My normal sized kids fit perfectly well on a training seat from 18 months or so. You can get fold up ones that do the job just fine.

Mrsjay · 30/03/2012 12:40

Whats wrong with just holding them over a loo Im sure there hasnt been many toddler flush away incidents , as somebody else said some people want everywhere to be child friendly , you have to adapt imo

belgo · 30/03/2012 12:47

Floggingmolly my dd2 was under 8kg at 19 months when she was potty trained. She would fall in the potty.

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