Potty Perfect

Anyone who has ever taken a child out beyond the 4 walls of their home knows what a disaster public bathrooms can be.  I'm not even going to 'touch' on the germ factor - too gross to think about.  But just physically navigating the bathroom itself when you have one or multiple young children is a nightmare.  Where do you put them when the disabled bathroom is being utilized and you can't take your stroller in?  There are many options at your disposal, none of them pretty.

A) Prop the narrow stall door open with your stroller.  Works well till someone walks into the bathroom as your haunches are hovering above the nasty toilet seat.

B) Balance your child on your lap while you pee.  Not really that great if you are toilet seat phobic like myself.  I have balanced Charlie on my leg while hovering, great thigh work out, but you usually wind up peeing a bit on the seat if not down the back of your leg.

C)  Leave child outside the stall door while you pee.  It's pretty much guaranteed someone will come in and judge your fitness as a parent here, unfortunately you gotta take the hit and pray they just don't take your kid.

D) Bring the child into the stall and have them sit on the bathroom floor.  This is vile but really the only option if you have 2 kids with you.   Gregory has actually licked the base of the toilet bowl in a public restroom and I'll be darned if that kid hasn't had a cold in 2 years.  There is a case to be made here for good germs.

Given the state of most public bathrooms, any one of these scenarios could force even the heartiest of souls to become homebound.   But before you join AA (Agoraphobics Anonymous), things are looking up.   I recently paid a visit to the 'family restroom' at the local mall.  Check this out.

No your eyes do not deceive you.  That's 1 big potty, 1 small potty, and 1 infant chair complete with restraints, I mean straps.  Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!  I'd like to know who I have to contact to get an initiative on the ballot for 2016 requiring family restrooms like this everywhere there is a large congregation of people - airport, mall, stadium, etc.  I'm considering having another kid just so I can really take advantage of this.  Ha!