Advice on Going Potty in Public When Potty Training

I would definately take the seat with you when you go out...the one day you don't take it will be the day you need it. I had a big bag that I carried it in (so you're not just holding a potty seat) and I'd put it in a garbage bag and also bring wipes to wipe it off if needed. Good luck with the potty training!

For me I had to get past the whole public restroom thing, for some reason it just grossed me out. When they have to go they have to go and most of the time I didn't have a choice. I carried a seat around with me a few times. I mean I carried a diaper bag, bottles,etc around with me for the first 6 mos to a year or longer. I have a canvas tote that the potty seat fits into perfectly, the seat has handles so he doesn't have to grab the side of the toilet and NOTHING else goes in that tote but his seat. I didn't mind having the seat with me, but there were times I forgot and they have to wash their hands after using the bathroom anyway, so, eventually I (sort of) got over it.

good luck

My youngest son just potty trained 2 weeks ago. We had a little potty from our oldest son (that he never used), but it was the only one that my youngest wanted to use. This past weekend we finally got him to use the big potty and then this morning he woke up and decided he was ready to stand up to pee. However, my older son didn't stand up for a couple of months. When we went out we just let them sit on the potty and made sure they washed up really well. As far as the pull ups go, I would put them on at night with my oldest, but he was dry every morning so I stopped after a week. I put them on my youngest at night too, but he would get mad so after the 4th night (he was dry every morning too) I stopped. Luckily neither of my boys have ever wet the bed. You just have to judge how your son does and if he consistently wakes up dry, try it without and see how it it goes. Good luck!

We took the potty seat with us. I purchased a very large bag to use as a purse and kept the seat in a plastic bag and toted the very large bag with me. When they are 2 years old, a commercial size toilet can swallow a child. Please note that toilets that conveniently flush "on their own" can be very scary for a little one toilet training.

To me, when you gotta go, you gotta go. 20 times more so for toddlers, who don't think about it till it is, NOW! I had the best results with potty right before we leave the house. As soon as you get to the store, mall, you find the cleanest BR- like for us, it is Nordstrom at Southpoint, or Gap. Potty right away, and then you are good for a little while. Potty at least once an hr. I never took a potty with me, how to clean it once it is dirty, yuck. Wash hands super well. They have done studies that say, toilet seats are not the dirtiest places we go. Use your wipes a lot. Potty training was my most hated time of toddlerhood. I hate going in a public bathroom, and all they seem to want to do at that age, is check them out!
I'm now a gma, and I seem even worse in public restrooms. These little girls will NOT go before we leave home, and WANT to check everything out. Good luck, boys are much easier.

I don't carry a potty seat or anything with me. I just put the seat covers or some toilet papter on the toilet and hold her up (my daughter is afraid that she might fall in). She's done wonderfully! My daughter is almost three and has been potty trained for about 3 weeks. She hasn't had any accidents in that time at naptime or at night, but I still put her in a pullup at night. During the day she is at daycare and they do not put a pull up on her. The only reason I put a pullup on her is because she sleeps in the bed with me. Hope this helps a little bit!

Hey S.! We too are potty training our 3 year old. I take her to the potty as soon as we get to the store if she didn't go before we left the house. I would take the potty seat with you where ever you go. Or you could buy and extra one and leaVe it in your car so you won't accidenly leave the one that you use at home somewhere and have to buy another one. It will give him the confidence to go to the potty in public because there is no fear of him feeling like he's going to fall in. That's what we do and it worked like a charm. Plus you don't have to worry about the germs that are on the seat of the public toilet when you use your own. We still use the pull ups at night and nap time. There isn't anything wrong with that. Kids usually wet the bed until they are 4 or so of age. That's what the doctors told me. When he stays dry at night and at nap time for a week straight, then he won't need them any more. My oldest daughter was 3 years and 3 months old when she was completely potty trained. It took her a couple of months to stop wetting at night and nap time. My youngest that we are potty training now, still wets at nap time and bedtime and we started with her training when she turned 3. When we first started potty training she stayed dry during her naps, about a month later she started wetting them at nap time. I know she is doing it while she's awake because I'll go into her room and she'll tell me that she wet. We've got our work cut out for us that's for sure. I hope this helps. Good luck with everything. You're lucky that your son is doing every well for his age. J. A.

at Toys R Us they have a travel potty seat that folds up. I take it with me and let them use it in public bathrooms. It has handles on it for them to hold onto and then folds up! It is great. Also, the potty that sits on the floor at home, if you have that kind, you can take it with you in the car if they have to go while you are driving and have no where to stop.

As far as nap time, it is up to the child. Some can do it right away and others wear pull ups for year.

Ok... First off you need to teach him that it is ok to stand up while peeing. You can make it fun by using toilet paper in the bowl and make it a fun "shooting" game. If and when he misses the water show him to clean it up. This makes it easier when he is older. My oldest is now 13 (potty trained at 1yr 3mths) and he still cleans up after himself. As for going in public if you are able to teach him to go while standing, you may have to lift him up to reach. If he needs to go #2 then you can cover the seat with one of those paper covers. Show him both ways at home that way he isn't confused when you go out. My youngest is only 5 months and I am looking forward to having him potty trained. Also teach him to sing the ABC's while washing his hands to ensure he is getting a good wash, plus it makes the hand washing more exciting.

They do sell potty seats that fold up come in their own bag and are portable. This easily fits into a diaper bad or pocket book. My son wouldn't go in public unless we had this handy.
Good luck with the potty training. Usually boys train better closer to 3 y/o so I would still put overnights or pullups on him at night. It may be a good year or so. You will have to see if he is dry in the morning or automatically gets up at night to go potty.

I carried a foldable potty seat in the diaper bag/backpack. (from Toys R Us $10) I made it easier for them to sit comfortably and wait for the potty to come.

I would show him the self flushing toilets and so he isn't surprised. My youngest would hold it rather than sit on them because they scared her so bad.

If he cant go through a nap and not wet hes not ready to potty train. he needs to be able to sleep (at least nap) and not wet, tell you when hes wet and go pee/poop about the same time everyday... until then dont force it! it will only backfire. but if he is showing all those signs then just take the kiddo in and put him on that potty! in all honesty the public bathrooms are normally cleaner than our home bathrooms... they have to be cleaned every day ours at home??? eh maybe once a week right??
P.s there is always something more exciting about a bathroom they never get to use... my daughter does this EVERYTIME we are out even if shes used that bathroom 100 times lol

what worked great for me was getting a potty seat that fits on all toilets and I carried it in the diaper bag in a zip up plastic bag (like what curtains are sold in). That way the toilet also fit and the seat was familiar.

There are portable fold up potty seats that you can fit in a big purse. I bought one at a consignment sale but have not used it (I actually forgot about it). I just potty trained at home for awhile and put him in a diaper when we went out. Once my son figured out how to pee standing up, things got a lot easier. The only time he pooped in a public potty was at Sears. I sat him on the potty and knelt in front of him so he could hold on to my neck to avoid falling in!

My son is 3 1/2 and the whole potty training thing clicked for him right after Christmas. He's started napping without a diaper, but still wears one to bet. I think he would have been potty trained sooner, but I had his little brother in October, 2007. Good luck!

S.,

Warning: In my experience boys take longer. But on the upside for the most part they do not need to set to potty most times! Take you some fruit loops or something like that with you out of the house. Throw them into the potty and tell him to try and hit them. Boys love this and will actually try to hit them. They are so into it they forget all about it not being like at home. Worked for mine.

My daughter is 7 now, but when she was potty training she wore a pull up when we went out. If she said she had to go potty we stopped what we were doing and went to the bathroom. We would stop at a gas station, fast food restaurant, the store where we were shopping. If you are at the mall places like Baby Gap and Build a Bear have public restrooms you can us if that is closer than the ones out in the mall. I always wipe and line the toilet seat with toilet paper. If I have a travel Lysol I do that to. I hope this helps.

I did not take her out while potty training. It was hard, but until she was going pretty good, she stayed home. Yes this was about 2 weeks. I would go to store, run errands at night. When they first start they don't give you much notice so it was just too hard to sprint across a store looking for the bathroom.

Be very careful, some public toilets flush automatically. My daughter was 2 and it flushed on her and she was petrified of public toilets for years. I think she was 6 or 7 before she would actually use the potty without me holding my hand over the sensor.
I didn't carry a special potty. We still had a diaper bag with wipes and extra panties. I would wipe the seat with wipe and then they would use it. Be sure to dry the seat with TP afterwards because the wipes leave it cold and wet.
My oldest, a boy, took forever to potty train. My next took a week, a girl. My 3rd took forever and is still having accidents at 11, a girl and my baby is a boy and took about a week. It depends on the child. Good luck and do invest in Cheerios or Froot Loops as Targets, that is way cool if you are a 2 year old boy.