Not normally a germaphobe

For those moms who have BDTD, do you go crazy at some point while PTing outside of your home? Last friday we went to the library, to a restaurant and to BJs, and of course everything took SOOOOO much longer because of all the potty breaks. I'm so happy the girls are into it (again- third times a charm, right?), but yuck yuck YUCK!!!! And of course my little girl who won't keep her hands out of her mouth (ahem, Meara!), got a stomach virus on Saturday night. I'm betting it was BJs bathroom, despite all the wipes, hand washing and purell. Ana, my child who normally is not so orally fixated, actually LICKED the hold bar in the stall at the library. OMFG the whole library probably heard me yell "DID YOU JUST LICK THAT?! NO NO NO ICKY!" Somehow though she doesn't have the stomach virus.

I am not a germaphobe and love to get out with the girls, but I'm going seriously nutty because of this. We are going on vacation on Saturday for a week and I will just have to deal, but yuck! I've obviously told them don't touch stuff in the bathroom, don't put your fingers in your mouth, must purell and wash hands after peeing, so is there anything else I can do? Or should I just expect them to get stomach viruses from nasty germs in public restroom?

As I try to be a 'glass half full' kind of person, Meara is now over her fear of pooping on the potty because of this virus so thats something I guess.

 

Oh my!!! Honestly, I admit that reason alone is why I am not excited about PTing! We've FINALLY started (the boys turn 3 in a little over a week!) but I refuse to let them out of the house without a diaper. I just can't handle public potties- and that's partly b/c I AM a germaphobe! I don't even use them myself if I can help it. Thankfully, even after the pregnancy I am lucky enough to have a bladder of steel... I just hold it and avoid public restrooms like the plague. So the thought of having to be in there with TWO potty training boys... :bad: :bad: But I guess right now, when I'm out and about with them by myself I still use a stroller. Is that an option for you? I suppose you probably don't want to "revert" back to baby ways if you've already gotten rid of that... but at least that way they're confined!

Glad your girls are doing so well, otherwise though! THat really is great news!

 

:rotflmbo: :laughing: :ibiggrin:

And the only reason for all those is because that was SOOOO me last year! LOL

I was NEVER a germ-a-phob, until the girls starting PTing. Now I am borderline OCD with germs and general cleanliness.... And it wasn't even public restrooms - it started with OUR bathroom!

They were constantly trying to put their hands in the toilet to play with the water, putting their hands on the back of the toilet to lift themselves up onto the toilet, lifting the seat and touching the rim..... No matter how frequently I cleaned them, the toilets were just NOT CLEAN ENOUGH. Just thinking about it now is making my skin crawl! Unless I cleaned them thoroughly every time we used the toilet (which we all know is not practical) I would go ballistic every time they were even NEAR the toilet.

Public pottying has gotten MUCH better. They know now to pull their pants down and wait for mommy to lift and hold them. Before though, they grab onto the toilet seat,lift themselves up, and hang on to the edges all while I was trying to get the pants of my other girl down... I'm sure the entire mall has heard me screaming at the girls "NO - DON'T TOUCH THAT!" as well as the zoo, etc. THANKFULLY we haven't had to use any store restrooms yet.

Mine are actually pretty good about still wearing diapers if we are out for an overly extended period of time. And up until this past weekend, it didn't affect their PTing abilities at all.

 

I could have totally written this exact same post!! I keep a potty in my car, and I always ask them if they have to go potty before we go in the store, but it never fails that they HAVE to use the potty inside the store! :bad:

I always put down a TON toilet seat covers, and scrub them clean as well as possible afterward but I don't know what else I can do.

I especially struggle with this because I NEVER use public restrooms myself. I hate them, and I am not a germaphobe either!

Maybe with time you just get used to it?!?! ardon:

 

I also had some issues with taking our children to public bathrooms when we first started to potty train. Thankfully they did not really touch a lot in the bathroom stalls, but I did constantly tell them to touch ABSOLUTELY nothing while we were in there. Maybe you could have them put their hands on their heads or their noses while they are in the stall. The issue we have right now is the fact that they like to see who's under the neighboring stall (i.e. they like to try to peek their head under the stall).

We also always have the portable potty in our car. We use this in situations where I know the bathrooms are filthy or the lines are too long. HTH!

 

I have to agree that potty training in my own bathroom is really starting to gross me out. Let's face it working full time doesn't really give me the time to keep the bathroom as clean as I'd like it. The girls are constantly touching the toilet, dragging their toys and blankets into the bathroom and they prefer to use the potty seat rather than the toilet seat ring so there's the constantly emptying have having to clean it. :bad: :bad: :bad:

Fortunately I haven't had to take the girls into public restrooms too often yet. But the first thing I tell them is to NOT TOUCH ANYTHING and what's the first thing they do? They go and touch something, UGH! :gah:

But, OMG, she licked the grab bar!! YUCK! :bad:

 

umm...sign me up for the horror mother of the year...I just don't think about it...I tell my kids not to touch the pad garbage (and they don't) and we wash hands afterward but mine have never gotten sick from my potty or a public one...

 

If Meara hadn't gotten sick I wouldn't be thinking about this either. :bad: I'm not used to being worried about germs.

 

:good: We did all of this. Then I think at some point you just get so overwhelmed that you give up and go :gah: At least that is what I did. I hate public restrooms, rarely use them for myself. I will hold it until I get home and my eyes are yellow if I have to. I used toilet seat covers for Leah and now that I have to take at least 2 kids mostly 3 to the potty every time we are out. I cant even be bothered with a seat protector. It it like a 3 ring circus in a small stall. It is so over the top ridiculous. So, my answer is YES you eventually get over it. :drinks:

 

I actually read somewhere that public bathrooms are much cleaner than we expect. There's more chance of getting a virus from a shopping cart or door knob in a store than from the bathroom (since they're cleaned so often).

 

Never bothered me. I don't think they're much more likely to get bad germs from a public bathroom than from any other public place. We use the bathroom, wash our hands, and leave.

I admit I would be slightly grossed out if they actually licked something in the bathroom, but I don't see the harm in incidentally touching things, as long as they don't stick their hands in their mouths before they wash.

But mine have been in daycare since 3 months old, which informs my reaction to most germ-related questions. I figure if they're going to get sick, it's going to be at daycare -- everything else pales in comparison.

 

Yup - this is me too. Total NON germaphobe...but PT is horrible!!!! even here at home!!!! I can't stand it!!!! I won't even tell you the stories out in public toilets. You'd never potty again.
Going out with my 8 & 10 year old remind me that it will get better. In a long time. Wish it were sooner.