Oh, the horror!

Do you have any phobias?  Have you ever thought about how they might have gotten started?  When was the first time you felt like running screaming from something?  Have you ever felt that way?

My girls have decided that they are scared of auto flush toilets.  I say “decided” because that’s what it seems like.  One day, they went without a problem.  The next day, whamo!  No way are they going near that thing.

I actually noticed this phobia beginning about a week ago.  I took Miss 6 somewhere, I can’t remember where, to use the potty.  When we opened the stall door, she looked at the toilet very skeptically and asked if it flushed itself.  I said yes, and she started backing up.  I explained to her that if she had to go, this was the only chance she was going to have and she declined.  I didn’t really think much of it, just got the other girls taken care of and we left.

Fast forward to family vacation last week.  We’re on the way home and Miss 4 (I always say 5 but she’s 4) asks to go potty.  Surprisingly enough, we were actually right by a rest stop. (How often does that happen? awesome!)  We quickly pulled over and took all the girls inside.  Once again, as soon as we got to the actual stall and saw the toilet, girls started backing up.  Little did I know, the fear of the auto flush was growing to phobia levels and spreading from girl to girl.  Miss 4 nicely said that Miss 6 could go first.  I wasn’t catching on.  Not until Miss 6 tried to run, that is.  I caught her, hoisted her onto the seat and told her that potties that flush themselves are nice because they keep the bathroom clean.  She was hanging on for dear life and shrieking.  Luckily, for her, the toilet actually registered that her tiny skinny bum was there and did not flush until she slid off. 

Now it was Miss 4’s turn.  She started shrieking before the potty had finished flushing for Miss 6.  I was starting to get impatient and told her that she was the one who asked for this stop and she better take care of her needs immediately!  Miss 4 can cry really loud and when I planted her on the seat, she started wailing.  I realized this was too much to handle.  Miss 7 and Miss 6 were both watching in horror, Miss 1 was trying to wiggle out of my arms.  I needed backup.  I told Miss 4 to sit right there and grabbed the other girls.

Luckily, dear daddy was waiting for us, so I threw the girls at him and ran back to Miss 4.  Poor Miss 4 was screaming her head off as the horrible toilet flushed beneath her.  I grabbed her arm, unfortunately not too gently, and told her she couldn’t fall in if mommy was holding her.  By now I could hear other travelers entering the bathroom.  (Who knows what they must have been thinking.)  Miss 4 was trying to slide off, telling me she was done.  My voice was rising too.  “You are not done!”  I was actually hollering.  “You are not going to poop in the van!”

She was still trying to slide off and screaming ever louder.  I started trying to shush her.  “Look at mommy,” I said a little more quietly.  “I won’t let you fall in.”  She finally managed to cry out that she didn’t want to make a poo and she had already done what she needed to do.  I realized my options were limited.  In other words, there is a time to admit defeat.  I let her slide off the toilet (which was still flushing!), we washed up, and fled the premises.

Oh the horror!  Next time, they are totally using the bushes.