Bathroom Issue

[Hunni Bee]

I have three restrooms in my area. My dck's have access to all three at any given time.

One of my boys MUST use a particular bathroom every time. If there's someone in it, he just will wait. There's no particular difference between this bathroom and the others, except that it is at the farthest end of the area and you really can't see in as easily as the others...I have an "open door policy" as far as the restrooms go.

So maybe its a privacy thing...I don't know.

Well, it wasn't much of a problem until today. Dcb wakes up, and I send him to potty. He goes for his fave potty, but someones using it. He starts to wait, but I notice he's holding himself and wiggling. I tell him to go use one of the others this time, and he immediately throws himself at the floor and has a tantrum.

I picked him up and placed him on one of the other toilets...when I come back, he had gotten off the pot and wet himself purposely . And continued to pitch a fit, soaking wet, for the next ten minutes.

So...Spring Break is next week...which will add about 12 kiddos to the full-day group...increasing the chances that his precious potty will be unavailable when he has to go. I will not have a "pee-for-all" every time its time to go potty...what can I do here? He's used the other potties before...but he's very stubborn and gets really angry over little stuff, if his mind is set.

[Lucy]

How old is he?

[Hunni Bee]

How old is he?

He turned 4 in Dec.

[Unregistered]

That would be the last day he used that restroom-ever!!!

[melskids]

I would "Close" that bathroom for a while. Tell him the toilet is broken and you need a plumber to come and fix it. You should be able to manage with two other restrooms for a while until he can stop being fixated on that particular one.

[LittleD]

LOL< "pee-for-all" I loved that!!! ::

I agree with PP. it's broken, go use another one.

[countrymom]

yup its now broken.

[SilverSabre25]

I concur--that toilet is broken (until the habit is broken).

Although I do think that he probably prefers it out of a greater need for privacy...if you have to leave the doors open, could you maybe let him close it halfway or something? Wanting privacy should not be punished, and really should be accommodated for.

Freaking out over a favorite toilet, on the other hand, needs taken care of, .

[JenNJ]

I would also make that bathroom off limits. And be sure he switches off on the other two so that he doesn't begin to fixate on another one.

Can you hang a sheer curtain to make it a bit more private for the kids? At least the illusion of privacy may help. I understand the need for an open door policy, but I think children have the right to use the restroom without other kids able to view them. I wouldn't want people peering in at me either. I think at 4, he may becoming aware of a need for privacy and that is why he is rejecting the two bathrooms on display.

Here I make the kids leave the door cracked about an inch. I can hear what is going on and I am able to assist if needed, but they aren't on display.

[Hunni Bee]

I concur--that toilet is broken (until the habit is broken).

Although I do think that he probably prefers it out of a greater need for privacy...if you have to leave the doors open, could you maybe let him close it halfway or something? Wanting privacy should not be punished, and really should be accommodated for.

Freaking out over a favorite toilet, on the other hand, needs taken care of, .

Oh, none of the doors are completely open... 1/4 of the way, just so I can make no one is flushing themselves down the toilet. But this particular potty has no door, but a half wall that opens on the opposite site from where the toilet is...if that makes sense. Its just kind of tucked away...

....open door just means they aren't allowed to close it all the way, not that it's wide open. I realize that's how it sounded.