The lovely Pinks & Blues Girls are having a contest to go along with their Ladies Room Initiative. It’s called the Gotta Go Giveaway, and as usual, I wanna win! So here’s my story about the most frustrating public restroom experience I’ve ever had.
About three weeks ago, I took the kiddos to Big Lots, which I frequent, because I am extreeeemely thrifty. Joshua, Sophia and I were scoping out the toy aisle (having already loaded up on Gerber baby food for 25 cents a jar, woot woot!) when I smelled something stinky. “Joshua, do you need to go potty?†I asked my three-year-old. “No,†he answered, meaning, of course, “Yes, but I want to stand here and look at toys, so I’m currently in poop denial.†Even though I wasn’t keen on taking him to the potty at Big Lots, I was even less keen on him pooping his pants in my car on the way home, so I pressed the issue and we went in search of the ladies’ room. Which I soon found was a one-holer that was already occupied. So we waited and I encouraged my son to hold it (he had by now come to terms with needing to poop) while we waited for the person in the stall. Finally the lady came out and I rushed my kiddos into the stall. You can’t take the cart in the rest room (not that it would have fit inside anyways), so of course, there was nothing I could do with Sophia (8 months) but set her on the FLOOR, which much to my horror was quite dirty. So I set her down as far away from the toilet as possible, while still keeping her in the stall with me. I took her little hands and put my purse in them, praying she would just hold on to the purse and not touch the floor. Then I held Joshua on the toilet while he pooped. He is super-skinny and his buns will fall right through a regulation-sized public toilet, so I still have to hold him on. (Since women of child-bearing age are the target customers of most retail stores, including Big Lots, I think it is ridiculous that NONE of them has a child-sized potty! Or sink!!)
So anyways, he laid down a deuce, I wiped him, collected my daughter, and hoofed it out of there! Since I definitely didn’t want Sophie to sit out on the floor under the sink with all the dirty paper towels that were on the ground while I helped Joshua wash his hands, I just hosed all three of us down with Purell when we got in the car.
I suppose it could’ve been worse, but it was very frustrating and YUCKY to have my kids in that situation. So, the moral of the story is: Closeout prices do NOT buy nice restroom facilities!
I totally understand. Every time my girls and I walk into a store one, if not both of them need to go to the potty. Most stores do not have very good facilities for kids, but I have found a few. Target has a family bathroom and so does the Dayton Mall. Family bathrooms are great since I usually have to struggle with both girls, 4 and 2, but with family bathrooms my husband can actually help out.
I totally understand this. We are in the process of potty training Austin 2 1/2 years old and for some strange reason he really likes to use potty’s out in public. He in fact is better about going when we are out. It never fails as soon as we walk in a store, restaurant, etc we hear I have to go potty. I think every restaurant, store, etc. should have child size potty’s and sinks. And also have baby changers.
I have definitely found that discount stores are home to discount restroom facilities! I totally would have hosed them down with Purell, too!! And if it was summer, possibly with an ACTUAL hose at home!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing and entering our contest!
Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls
hilarious!!!! i’m totally freakin’ about the floor but been there, done that. when one of my kids is on the potty, the other is always wanting to “pet” the floor. which makes me totally nauseaus.
Ewwww. I wish more stores would at least think about putting in some child sized toliets and sinks. Or sanitizing the bathrooms more than once a day. LOL