Thursday, December 29, 2011

Sensory Friendly Bathrooms

Okay I just gotta gripe. I live near Chicago and my family and I are regular visitors of the zoo and the many museums around here. And we are so blessed with these experiences! However, in the name of being "environmentally friendly" in the bathroom we are freaking out a whole bunch of people with SPD!

1. Automatic flushers scare the beejezus out of both of my boys. I appreciate that ones that go up for #1 and down for a #2. And I know that some people can't be bothered to flush, and seriously, get over yourself and just flush already!  It's gross, nobody wants to see it. Anyway, my boys don't like not knowing when this is gonna go off!  It's enough to handle it when they know the flush noise is coming, let alone not knowing! And yes I know the post-it-note trick, I just don't always think to have those in addition to all the other sensory things I already carry!

2. Automatic hand dryers or hand dryers of any sort. Please provide paper towels or my sons will be wildly waving their hands around in the air or better yet wiping them on their pants. I guess I should carry some of those with too.

3. Smells. Yes, body waste smells, however, those nasty deodorizers smell worse. So, now, imagine if you will...my son's are both with me, in the handicapped stall, both have their hands to their ears due to the flushing and hand dryers. I have to help them sit (they both sit still) or hold their ears so they can do it. All the while trying to keep them, and myself from upchucking due to the nasty deodorizer smell, which really just mingles with the body waste smell to make even someone not sensitive to smells wanna vomit :(

So what would I love?  A family bathroom with a door/walls around the toilet. Why? Because my BOYS are 3 and 6 and have questions about things on my body. And where do I put them when I go?  Anyway, back to my "dream" public bathroom....one with walls/door around the toilet. One with both hand dryers (for those who want) and towels for those who don't. One without an automatic flusher (or one that doesn't go off for 5 minutes!) Some way to vent fresh air into the room rather than the stale air of the building, and throw out the nasty deodorizers! While you are at it can you make it pink or purple? I am the only girl in a house with 3 boys! Thanks ;)

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