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Built-in potty seat: good for butts of all sizes

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in: Poop, Pee & Potty

Mayfair 186CP 000 NextStep Built-in Potty Seat with Non-Tarnish Chrome Hinges Is it weird to say I love a toilet seat?

I discovered the NextStep built-in potty seat in a kid-friendly Portland cafe. It hit me just how much easier life would have been had this been in my bathroom when my kids were ages 2-5.

Because potty training is just the first step, isn't it? The little-butt-perched-on-big-toilet issue lasts a bit longer. Also annoying is having to fiddle with portable potty seats when YOU have to go to the bathroom. This would have solved both problems!

For less than $40, this is an amazing value for the level of convenience and peace of mind.

At Amazon: Mayfair 186CP 000 NextStep Built-in Potty Seat with Non-Tarnish Chrome Hinges, available in round and elongated styles, $35.03

Related: Soft-close toilet seat prevents slamming

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About Asha Dornfest

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast.

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Comments

  1. Wilson Family Adventure says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:02 am

    What a great idea. The only thing that worries me is that, because I have a son, there isn’t the “cup” in the front to make sure that his pee goes in the toilet instead of onto the wall and floor in front of the toilet.

  2. Joshua Howe says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:02 am

    I’d had a similar idea when my son was potty training, and never took it further. I’m glad someone did. This would be excellent for any public place as long as they meet industrial standards.

    “A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

  3. CM says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Wilson Family: A boy should learn to deflect that stream which flashes out of him from within, by gently pressing down whilst he sits on the potty. No cup necessary!

  4. Asha Dornfest says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:44 am

    Just imagine what life would be like if there were seats like this in many public bathrooms? I know, these aren’t meant for public toilets, but in the public restrooms of my dreams…wait, I don’t dream about public restrooms.

    You get the point. If little kids could actually sit on the toilet without falling in, then actually reach the sink and soap in public restrooms, life would be a lot easier. How hard is it to build stepstools into public restrooms?

  5. Asha Dornfest says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:45 am

    What an elegant way to describe proper boy procedure.

  6. kate h says

    February 11, 2011 at 8:51 am

    we have one in our house and we all LOVE it. Jack learned to push down with his hand to direct his stream so he doesn’t pee on his clothes. It has made the whole potty thing so much easier for the whole family. Plus the seat is very stable, unlike 1/2 of the portable potty seats we tried.

  7. jillian says

    February 11, 2011 at 9:05 am

    I’ve had one of these (actually, a similar “family seat”) for a while. Of course, MY kid won’t use it, but friends’ kids have, and it works great! I love that it’s secure, doesn’t slide around, and that there’s no extra piece of equipment that has to be stored somewhere when not in use. I’m no great fan of the garish portable seats, anyway; I like the elegance of this solution.

    I will say that I feel I have to explain it to adults who use my bathroom for the first time, lest they try to use the little kid seat.

  8. Rebecca says

    February 11, 2011 at 9:47 am

    http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-One-Step-Trainer-White/dp/B0009F3OZE

    I have this one and it is great! I actually give it to friends with little ones! They come over and admire the seat, then they get one for their next present!

  9. kimberly says

    February 11, 2011 at 11:46 am

    i think “family” restrooms are fantastic. We have them here in most malls and some discount warehouse stores. Tiny toilets and pint sized sinks definitely make potty trips easier with small children. These seats would be a great addition!

  10. Nicole says

    February 11, 2011 at 12:29 pm

    We have the Kohler version in the children’s bathroom and our guest bath by the playroom. It’s really sleek, plastic for easy sterilizing (trust me – the wood ones wear out over time and get mildewed) and added bonus – the tabs pop up and the whole seat slides off the bolts so you can clean up the messes that little boys tend to send under the back of the seat when they aim too far back. As soon as my son was tall enough we had him standing (around 2.5yrs old) instead of sitting. The Kohler has a slow close anti-slam feature too. We never had a separate potty – from 10 months of age on he sat on this seat and felt so secure. My youngest is almost 9 months and I’ve started sitting him on it before bath to get him used to the concept. He freaked out when I used my toilet one time but on this one he’s all smiles and feels secure. The only downside – it’s $54-78 depending on color. http://www.amazon.com/KOHLER-K-4732-0-Transitions-Quiet-Close-Toilet/dp/B000RNN8B8/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

    I wish family restrooms actually meant family friendly. In our area (central Florida) that just means a separate bathroom for the handicapped that families can use. The toilet, while great for wheelchairs, is too high for little boys and the sink is way out of reach with no step stool to be found. Many stores don’t even have a hook on the back of the door for Mom’s purse so she can assist her child without risking her purse taking a dunk or smacking into the child!

  11. Kimberly Wyatt says

    February 11, 2011 at 5:29 pm

    We found a seat like this on sale at Target for $14.00! It’s the only thing my daughter (who will be turning two in two weeks) has ever used for potty training. And we love it. I’m thrilled I won’t have to “transition” her from a kid-sized potty to the adult toilet.

  12. Ellen says

    February 11, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    We have this and we love it. We didn’t get it until after my now-4yo was trained, and he stands to potty, but he always uses it for BM. Our 2yo hasn’t started training yet, but I hope he takes to it like big brother did, because I detest emptying the dirty bowl of a potty chair!

  13. Rebecca says

    February 12, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    We have something similar from One Step Ahead, and we love it. My now 3 year old dd potty trained on it at 18 months, and my 23 month old ds is potty training with it now.

    Their friends all use it, and I know several other moms who have bought one after seeing ours.

  14. Katherine Gray says

    February 16, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    We have one of these (no idea which brand–my husband brought it home). We have lots of friends with littler kids and I love that we’ll have a toddler-friendly toilet seat even when my youngest finally outgrows the need for a smaller seat, which will be quite soon (sniff).

  15. Wood Toilet Seats says

    July 12, 2011 at 4:18 am

    I would love to have one of these Built-in potty seat: good for butts of all sizes! where could I possibly buy one?

  16. Susan Kami says

    July 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    My kids love it. I have a son and daughter. My son stands to go potty but if he needs to sit while doing other business, he simply presses down his boy stuff like men do so to have it aim down where it needs to go.
    It’s quite helpful not having to take off and on the potty chair seat or having a full potty device in my bathroom that’s already crowded.
    We bought ours at Lowes for about $36 dollars. It’s very heavy duty material and constructed with high quality chrome hinges. I was very impressed. Ours has lasted over a year so far with no issues. I’ve recommended to everyone I know that has kids and they love it too.

About the Author

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast. More about Asha »

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