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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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?

Confused
OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 30/03/2012 19:00

if they're clean then why do they need to go in the dishwasher?

i am serious when I say that if you had environmental health round you would be closed down.

that is actually one of the most vile things I have heard. do the parents and other users of this dishwasher know what you put in it??

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2012 19:01

and not all bacteria are killed by high temperatures.

thisisyesterday · 30/03/2012 19:04

a brief google tells me for example that norovirus particles need temperatures of 90 degrees to kill them.
dishwashers tend to go up to only 75 degrees

TattyDevine · 30/03/2012 19:17

But dishwasher tablets have caustic acid and all sorts in them.

Not saying I'd do it but I tend to second the "calm down dear" stance.

Housemum · 30/03/2012 19:34

I would never use a communal potty, there is just something a bit more dirty than a toilet - after all, bodily excretions (mostly) land in the toilet bowl, whereas they physically touch the base of the potty and the sides as it is emptied.
BUT to defend the OP, it would be nice if places that advertise themselves as catering for children (soft play centres etc) though about simple additions like dual-seat toilets. The 2 closest theme parks to us have the seats that have both an adult and child sized seat, you lift up the child size hole to use the adult one

Rosebud05 · 31/03/2012 06:41

I'm shocked at the potty in the dishwasher story...

Please tell me that no-one does this at home?

Megatron · 31/03/2012 07:47

I had a portable seat for mine when they were little or I held them over the toilet. They didn't like being held over the toilet either but frankly, tough. They need a wee/poo, there is a toilet, that's where you have your wee.

I would never in a million year have let them use a communal potty. Even if it looked clean, you have no idea if it actually is. I don't think toddler groups or soft play areas should have to clean potties either as the reality is, some people would leave them in a mess. Staff shouldn't have to deal with that.

otchayaniye · 31/03/2012 10:41

i am staggered that people take potties out with them. how utterly grim

my daughter was tiny when i trained her and somehow managed to use a toilet without disappearing down the u-bend

SoupDragon · 31/03/2012 10:45

A fold up toilet set adapter is far better than either a potette which leaves you with a plastic bag of urine/poo and *far8 better than a "public potty"

The soft play/toddlergroup/whatever has provided for their customers in the toilet area - they have provided a toilet.

Rosebud05 · 31/03/2012 11:06

But children are all different otchayaniye.

My dd was scared of using the toilet to start with, so I took a potty out with us. Then a child's toilet seat when she got more confidence. Neither were grim, honestly, I just cleaned them as I did at home.

I share soupdragon's dislike for potettes -I've no desire to carry a bag of week or poor around with me. What's so difficult about just flushing the contents of the potty down the loo?

Sassybeast · 31/03/2012 11:10

YABU. We had a new soft play place opened nearby a few years ago. first visit - thought 'How lovely - how nice that they've put potties, changing mats, loo seats etc all geared for toddlers'
DD went to the loo and came out screeching -'there's a POO in there' - some delightful creature had left a full potty sitting on the floor.
Fast forward 18 months and there are no potties, loo seats or changing mats to be seen. People misuse them or steal them.

You need to get your daughter over her fear of using the loo - it's quite hard to find a porta potty to fit a 12 year old.....

GrandmasRedCar · 31/03/2012 12:37

I take a potty with us. My ds is 3 in June and would sooner wee himself than use a toilet. Not entirely sure what we'll do about that come nursery time...

insancerre · 31/03/2012 12:46

YABU
Just put on the toilet, hold her if you have to.
I think potties are pretty disgusting- as a nursery nurse it is my job to clean them out after use. Which is why I encourage all the toddlers to use the toilet. Granted, they are small sized ones for children. Maybe the answer is for places to instal child sized toilets not providing potties.
As for putting potties through the dishwasher- just hope the environmental health people don't find out about that (actually, I do wish they would find out, so they can put a stop to it)

GrandmasRedCar · 31/03/2012 14:58

Poor bathroom hygiene is disgusting. Potties are not. He can progress to a toilet when he's less terrified.

xkcdfangirl · 31/03/2012 18:07

The cafe place we went for lunch recently which was very toddler friendly (lots of books and toys and a play kitchen and play house) has one of those family-friendly loo seats on the adult loo, with an extra seat containing a small hole for toddlers and a normal seat for the rest of us. An ideal compromise as it can't get nicked and it would be no more bother for them to clean it when they clean the rest of it.

(Lashings on the Gloucester Road in Bristol if you are local...)

TarynF · 01/09/2020 05:25

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

maddiemookins16mum · 01/09/2020 05:55

My DD hated sitting on the toilet until she was over 3.
But the Op now realises that the issue is the dirty skanks who’d not even empty it once they’d used it.

PurpleFlower1983 · 01/09/2020 06:04

YABU, the idea of a shared potty is disgusting! Confused

steff13 · 01/09/2020 06:07

OP our Potette thingy is a toilet seat adaptor as well

So was ours. That's one of the reasons I bought it.

Angelina82 · 01/09/2020 06:17

Eww communal potties 🤢

Avelosa · 01/09/2020 06:44

@TarynF FFS why have you dragged up an 8 year old thread just to advertise your blogHmm

PurpleFlower1983 · 01/09/2020 07:39

Oh FFS it’s a zombie...

StripyHorse · 01/09/2020 14:14

As a previous poster, I either used to hold DDs as they sat on the toilet or used the potette. I thought the potette has legs to fold out so you can also use it as a toilet seat if necessary. I never bothered, but it might be worth a try.

nosswith · 01/09/2020 14:22

Why are we having threads about smells today? First the use of deodorant spray, now potties?

Florencex · 01/09/2020 14:28

I opened this thread by accident. OMG I don’t even have children and physically recoiled at the idea of a communal potty. 🤢

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