3 year old daughter scared of public handdryers!

[oldermummytobe]

Hi All,
This may sound minor, but my little girl has developed a big issue about public toilet handdryers. She is no longer in nappies during the day (only pull ups at night) and uses the potty at home when downstairs, but happy to use 'big girl toilet' upstairs. She will be sat on a public toilet and do her business, as long as there is no handdryer in sight. it's got to the point now where she is asking if there is a handdryer before we've even got out of car to our destination.

We are moving house soon, and plan to ditch the potty completely, as she keeps wanting to use the potty when out rather than go in toilets.
I end up having to give in as it's so bloody traumatic for us all when those handdryers go off I think the entire county can hear her.

Please can anyone offer some useful tips on how to get her over this? I have considered the 'forced exposure' approach but feel a bit cruel doing that, as she is only 3. But how do I approach gradually??

We have also just found out I am expecting again, so want to get this sorted sooner rather than later, as I can't cope with the physical battles!

Look forward to any suggestions

Thank you :)

It’s normal imo

My three year old is scared of them but has learnt to put hands over ears if it starts

Definitely won’t use one - use tissue to dry

My three yr old is like this too - flatly refuses to go in a public loo in case there are dryers - I take a potette travel potty thing everywhere at the moment so she doesn’t have to go inside loos This thread has made me see that I need to sort it!

My son had this then at about 4 maybe 5 he suddenly was fine!!

Won't last IMO

I wouldn't get her ear defenders, that's really making a rod for your back because then you have to take then with you everywhere you go or risk an even bigger tantrum about going into the bathrooms without them.

Roleplay is a good idea and then I would say gradual exposure - e.g. standing outside the toilets and listening to the noise, then standing inside the room but far away and so on gradually working up to it. She will have to use hand dryers eventually, its part of life, and wearing ear defenders won't teach her anything.

Mine were both like this.

I found that being very matter of fact about it helped. We used to check out the driers on our way into a toilet, and started to recognise the loudest ones. I’d offer to put my hands over their ears while they were on the loo (which they wanted at times, but other times would decide they could cope).

Wearing ear defenders is not creating a rod for your back. That's ridiculous. This is a sensitivity which is very real and uncomfortable for lots of kids. Most will grow out of it, and there's no harm in making using the toilet more comfortable for them in the short term. I'd much rather do that than have them be scared of using the toilet. My son has autism and may well not grow out of it. He can use ear defenders for as long as he needs them.

Mine got over the same fear when I let him sing baby shark at the top of his lungs every time the drier came on.

Yes to ear defenders sounding more sensible than carrying a potty around, especially if it causes so much distress. They are very loud and unexpected. My DS hates them too, he asks that we don't use them so I just acknowledge that they are there and they are too loud.

This is really common. No known cure except time.

I suppose hand dryers only started being especially loud fairly recently (Dyson or xlerator). So most adults can’t relate to how loud it is for a child.

My five year old hates them! We were in a public toilet a few weeks ago and another lady was in there with her younger daughter and she actually said 'oh thank god it's not just my daughter!'.

We went to pizza express on the weekend and my daughter managed to stand underneath the dryer without setting it off.....I did warn her and she moved pretty sharpish!

Hi OP, my two hated them too but are ok with them now (both are autistic and it was sensory hell for them when they were smaller).

My DH would just find & turn off the isolation switch when he walked in the loos with one or both of them