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Parenting

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Original poster

Where can DH take DD to the loo when out & about?

20 replies

catinthehat · 31/10/2004 14:34

They want to go off for a day together, and our 2 year old is just out of nappies and wants the loo frequently. It's OK if there's a convenient hedge, but there aren't very many on most High Streets/stations/shopping centres.

Practical solutions invited (or should they stay at home until she's OK to go to the Ladies on her own!).Where is it OK for him to take her - what do dads usually do???

Thoughts gratefully appreciated.

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lou33 · 31/10/2004 14:35

Couldn't he take her into a cubicle in the gents?

nickiey · 31/10/2004 14:36

you can get portable potties from boots, my ds is now nappy free and i have no qualms about taking him into the ladies loo or indeed going into the mens with him if its urgent and the ladies is busy

Hulababy · 31/10/2004 14:37

DH just takes our 2.5yo DD into a cubicle in the gents if out and about, or if not suitable into the disabled toilets (provided there isn't a queue for them). Round here the disabled toilets normally have the baby change as well anyway.

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kkgirl · 31/10/2004 14:48

I bought one of those portable loos when mine were young, and I wish I still had it. It is a plastic ring, and basically a carrier bag with a pad in. Its really handy, if you can't get to the loo, I could do with it at Football, when quite often there is no loo, and what can you do!!1

tigermoth · 31/10/2004 14:52

Mcdonalds or similar fast food places. They always have good loo facilities, usually a separate child change/disabled loo.

If you ever wondered why you see so many babies and toddlers in mcdonalds, now you know!

PS if it's busy and the loo is easily reachable, you might be able to quickly dodge in and out without buying anything. If not, the takeaway coffee is passable.

pixiefish · 31/10/2004 15:01

don't mean to scare anyone but i definetly wouldn't let my child alone into the public toilets- saw something on the telly a year or so ago about a predator who waited in the men's toilets for little boys to go in alone (the mum's were sending the boys in and waiting outside)- this was at one of the big show's- boat show or motor show or something but it just showed how easy it was for these bad people.
I should imagine that the safest option is the disabled toilets which sometimes double as a parent/child. While were on the subject has anyone noticed that parent and child loos rarely have a toilet in them???

KateandtheGirls · 31/10/2004 15:12

My Dad always just takes my daughter into the Gents.

suedonim · 31/10/2004 15:19

Dh would use the disabled loo if necessary. It's quite handy if you can train girls to be 'held out' then you can let them pee into a gutter/drain if you're ever caught really short. Watch your feet, though - pee-splashed shoes are not sexy!!

Btw, yesterday there was a steady stream of women using the men's loos in our M&S. A man came out at one point looking very shocked and said "There's a WOMAN in there!"

jampot · 31/10/2004 16:01

I agree with Pixiefish about not letting my young children into loos on their own. DS is horrified at the thought of having to go to the "ladies" when we're out but i just wont let him into the gents on his own. Now that dd goes shopping with friends I insist if she needs the loo when out to use the ones in places like M&S, or John Lewis etc and not the ones in shopping centres or general PCs. Can't daddy take dd to the disabled loos or parent & child loos. I suppose it depends on where they're going.

highlander · 31/10/2004 17:44

FFS, is it such a big deal if a dad is present in a cubicle in the ladies to help his daughter? It's not like all the ladies are running around with their pants down is it? (well, not that I've noticed..... )

WigWamBam · 31/10/2004 18:23

My dh takes my daughter into a cublicle in the gents, and neither of us has ever thought that there might be a valid reason not to. She was a bit curious about the urinals, but knows that men pee standing up and that that's where they can do it so has been fine about it. No-one has ever so much as remarked upon it.

We did have a portable potty, but as dd's projectile wee sailed right over the top of it it wasn't much use

Lonelymum · 31/10/2004 18:32

I have qualms letting my sons (aged 8 and 6) use gents toilets when out and about but they don't want to use the ladies so I have to let them. I suppose we have to let go at some point but it does make me a bit worried, especially if one goes in alone.
To answer your question catinthehat, if he doesn't want to take her into the gents (dh alwasy says they are dirtier than the ladies but how would he know? I think it is just an excuse to ensure I do all the toilet trips!) he could try disabled loos which are often aside from the ladies and gents. The advantage is, more room to manoeuvre about and the sinks are low down so children can reach them. The disadvantage is, some have those coded locks on them so only disabled people can access them.
One of the bookshops in our local town has a large loo, accessible for disabled people so with all the advantages of above, but not locked or gender specific so easy for anyone to use. Perhaps you need to scout around your shops and discover which shops have a facility like that.

mieow · 31/10/2004 18:35

I just take DS into the ladies, and DH takes DDs into the gents. Never had anyone say anything about it. I do use the disabled loos (but DS and DD1 are disabled so I'm allowed ) if they are free.
At the end of the day, its better for DH to take DDs into the gents as he can't go in the ladies.

xoz · 31/10/2004 19:08

My dh takes both our dd's into the mens where necessary. We also use disabled toilets when they are available, in fact our local shopping centre has them marked as "disabled/parents with pushchairs" which I think is great because that recognises that parents with little ones need the same amount of space. We regularly use bushes and have also been known on occasions where necessity dictates (ie. no convenient toilets or bushes) to use the gutter!

Original poster

catinthehat · 31/10/2004 19:08

Thanks for the many helpful replies ladies (and possibly gents), I'll show them to DH later. My guess he'll be checking out a lot of disabled facilities round here!

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Slink · 31/10/2004 19:23

My dh takes our dd to the mother and toddler toilets most mums don't mind and if they are breast feeding he just explains he needs to take dd to the loo they all seem ok with it.

deegward · 31/10/2004 19:23

Ds1 who's 4.5 has just started saying he wants to go to the toilet himself, so far has only done it in Kidsports, but you have all made me really wary

Slinky · 31/10/2004 20:15

DH always takes DD2 into the Gents, DD1 (9) goes on her own into the Ladies and he waits outside. DS (7) begrudgingly goes with me into the Ladies but he is NOT happy with that!

This week, we were out for the day and I took the 3 of them to the Ladies. Ladies out of order so I quite happily took them into the Gents! The men were surprised but not bothered, although some of the women watching were horrified

None of this is an issue in France - unisex toilets all round so everyone's happy. Drives me potty in this country that we are so "hung-up" on our toilet habits - at the end of the day, we all pee/crap - who cares if it has a picture of a Lady/Man on the door

WestCountryLass · 31/10/2004 22:19

If she can't hold her bladder very long I suggest he takes her to the nearest loo, whatever that might be. I use disabled loos as well, be warned though, I recently accidently pulled the ermgency alrm cord and the door was ripped off while I had my pant down

Spamhead · 19/11/2004 22:57

I've taken my DD to the gents she was in trainer pants, no issues. Porta Potties are great too, but I find they tend to collapse - to much hilarity from DD (and DS, who is at the age where he laughs at anyone's misfortune but his own). But it will become harder as she gets older - cross that bridgge when we get to it!

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