Help - 2 potty training issues!

[fivi2]

My girls are almost 3. I have been avoiding potty training because I am overwhelmed. However, I think they are ready. At home they use the potty about 75 % of the time, even if they have to take off a diaper. But we have two big problems:

1 - they refuse to set foot in a public restroom. Any public restroom. If I have to go while we are out, they scream and cry when we enter and try to unlock the stall or crawl under the doors. There is no way they will get close enough to sit on one (I have tried). I don't know what caused the trauma, but they hate public restooms. Ummm... so how do I potty train?

2 - one of the girls always wants to sit on the potty at home. When it is bed time she'll tell me she has to poop. (she doesn't) she'll sit for ages and when I try to make her get down, she tells me it is coming. (it isn't). Clearly she is stalling and knows I will let her sit on the potty, but what else do I do? What if she really does have to go this time?

Any suggestions? Please!
TIA!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Not that it is any help during winter, but we keep a small Bjorn potty in the back of the CR-V. She's happy to potty in there and it kept us out of the public restrooms - except at the childrens museum.

We give in a read to her on the potty. It takes forever sometimes, but we read and read and read. She's usually right when she says it is coming, but yesterday, DH was in there for about 40 min. That was abnormal. Is she avoiding bedtime by sitting in there?

[Melaine]

I have no actual experience. My girls just turned two and our brief efforts at PT have been utter disasters. But my friend who also has twins the same age has had nearly 100% successful potty-training and she recommended a travel potty. She always keeps it in the van, and even hangs it on the stroller at the zoo. She says that the kids are used to using it, and you don't have to deal with the stress and "fears" associated with public bathrooms. I just saw that the potty is on sale at Babycenter (with tons of other great stuff). http://store.babycenter.com/product/safety+-+baby+care/potty+training/potties+-+step+stools/potty+on-the-go.do?asc=false
About the other problem, I have no idea. One of my girls has started asking to "cuddle" everytime it is bedtime. She knows I can't resist and it's a great time to procrastinate the inevitable!!!

[fivi2]

Thanks for the suggestions! We have a bjorn potty (and that travel one looks cool, too) I am just not sure where they would sit on it at the park or the museum if they won't go in the restroom. I will definitely try it in the back of the car, though.

And yes, I think she is avoiding bedtime by sitting on the potty. But I feel bad telling her she can't try to go potty. So I am conflicted!

Thanks

[WatchingThemGrow]

You know...I had to post for help about getting her to do #2 on the potty as it was quite frustrating - I had a nursing 3 mo. old at the time, LOL. We did M&Ms for a bit, then we did a sticker chart with a special "lunch w/grandma" award after 5 successes. That was the trick!

We forgot about it, and resurrected the idea with the recent lack of consistent naps. Right now she's enjoying (or rather I'M enjoying) the 3rd nap in a row after 11 days of no naps.

With the little potty, I only took it to the park one day. I never really let it leave the car. She'll go before we leave the house, before we leave the car, when we get back to the car (before driving), and back at the house. Of course, not all those times, but that's when we were first offering.

[ha98ed14]

For those of you who use the potty on the go in the back of the SUV. van, um, where do you dispose of their deposits? Do you take it home with you and dispose of it there?

[kijip]

Could the fear of public restrooms be the loud automatically flushing toilets? T was terrified of those things. He started to sob and run away on more than one occasion.

[WatchingThemGrow]

For those of you who use the potty on the go in the back of the SUV. van, um, where do you dispose of their deposits? Do you take it home with you and dispose of it there?

At first, I tried the "soak it up in a diaper doubler/maxipad inside a grocery bag" thing. Then, I read on here where a few mamas said they just found a place to dump it- like in a mulched area, near a drain, etc. DD's never done #2 in the car potty, so that hasn't been a problem. I keep the tissue, the Clorox wipe and the antibacterial wipe in a little compartment in the back of my car and toss them when we get home.