Going to the loo while out with mindees...

[EmmaReed84]

... what do you do?

I generally "go" before I go out so rarely need to go and if I do need to I am usually heading home so just wait...

However the other day I was so busy I forgot to go and was out ad busting. I went to Asda in the disabled toilet I have 3 children with me... I ended up turning the push chair away from and trying to cover myself and pretended to see a spider in the corner so the kids looked up and away from me while I... well you know lol.

Got me thinking what everyone else does...I wouldn't mind with my own children, but others...

[AliceK]

To be honest all mine follow me into the toilet when I go at home anyway. I've learnt that I can sit and have a wee without showing anything by the way I hold my top. It doesn't bother me and they can't see anything.

xxx

Meant to say obviously I'm talking about under 3's here, not schoolies, that would be too much.

[nipper]

I wouldn't go to a public toilet with a whole 'busload' of mindees fullstop and at home I just announce I'm going to the toilet (downstairs) and I lock the door. Couldn't be doing with all that letting them follow me in. The older toddlers usually ask me if I have flushed and washed anyway

[funemnx]

I just take them all in with me if I'm alone but quite often there is another CM who can watch them for me - mostly, as soon as I say I'm going the others all say they need a wee as well!

[sweets]

i usually have a childminder friend with me so we watch each others if we need to go.

i have been caught short once on my own tho! babies and young toddlers i will just take in with me but at the mo i have three 3 year olds so i made them wait just the other side of the door and asked them to sing a song so i could hear them lol, i could also see thier feet

[JCrakers]

I usually take them into disabled loo. If both in buggy I face it away. If I have a walker I just get them to sit on footplate of nipper 360 while I go.

If you need to go, you need to go. I do quite a lot of walking and morning we are out from 830-12 somedays so I do need to go to the loo at some point

[samb]

I had one (3 yrs) today at a toddler group - no other minders there so took her in with me - there was a baby changing mat, I asked her if she could play hide and seek and when I finished I would find her - predictably she hid behind the mat - phew!

[jumping j]

we all go together, they follow me to the toilet anyway so there's no difference

[cathtee]

glad i'm not the only one to take them into disabled toilet, and like others I turn the push chair away from me, but I do try to wait til at home to avoid the inevitable question "what you doing, or whats that noise

[Bridey]

Its not something that has ever bothered me. Like most minders I seem to have an iron bladder but if I need to go I usually leave the door open at home if I have little ones here. I always use the disabled toilet with them when out. There is always something to look at in the room to distract them from me. Occasionally I do have to explain the odd comment to the parents like" Bridey has red pants today too"!

In fact, me and two mindees got locked in a disabled toilet once when the handle fell off on the outside!! We had to bang on the door until we got the attention of a member of public. The mindees thought it was a brilliant game

[mummyMia]

Well my bladder is the size of a pea and I need to go constantly. I just take the lot with me into the disabled toilet and am not really bothered. I have even squeezed into a tiny cubicle with three toddlers. All of my mindees are under 3's at the moment so I don't feel embarrassed. If I had an older one I guess I would just ask them to stand outside the cubicle where I can see their feet.