Travel & Potty Training

Updated on October 23, 2008
J.Z. asks from Littleton, CO
14 answers

How do you deal with potty training while traveling over the holidays? Should we attempt to take a potty, have grandmas buy potties, or is there something easier and portable I should know about......

Thanks!

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A.D.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I haven't ever responded to a request, but I hope that doing so might make life easier for you. We loved this approach and it worked wonderfully for my son, so hopefully you might be helped by it also. It might be easier if you were done with the "training" before the holidays. Have you ever heard of the 3 day potty training e-book. We loved it. It's at
www.3daypottytraining.com

Hope it helps.

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C.J.

answers from Colorado Springs on

You can buy potty seats for little ones that fit over the big toilet seat - that would be one way to ditch the potty chair and would be fairly portable for travel. Then the little one wouldn't feel like she was going to "fall in". I have one that folds up pretty small, I think I found it at Wal-Mart. If you want to stick to the potty chair, one step ahead (www.onestepahead.com) sells travel ones that fold up into a little briefcase looking tote. Then you use plastic shopping bags or small garbage bags in it for the waste.

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K.D.

answers from Provo on

Travel time is a great time to break the potty chair habit and see if she is willing to go on the regular toilet. When training my son, the only place he had a potty chair was at home and his sitters (but only because she has a 3 year old training too). Switching back and forth between the regular potty at grandmas and when we were out and the little potty at home made it easy for us to finally ditch the potty chair at home (YAY!). Just make sure she knows how to sit on the big potty (falling in could be bad) and get a stool (or have grandma's get a stool!) that she can use to get on and off.

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R.M.

answers from Denver on

the best thing to travel with is a toilet seat. it goes over the big potty and it is safe and secure. i would get one right away and let your little one get used to it before you go any where. it can also be used on the airplane. good luck and god bless

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C.E.

answers from Provo on

this is your opportunity to get your child used to using the toilet instead of a potty chair. some of your family's toilets may be low and easy to get onto, some you may need to help lift the child onto or find a step stool, but your child can quickly learn to balance. but you could take one of those soft seats that go on top of the toilet seat with you if you or the child are worried about "falling in". ours cost less than $7 at walmart.

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C.M.

answers from Provo on

If you are driving, some friends of our took a potty seat with them. They brought lots of shopping bags to put in the potty to catch "poo" and it saved them when there were no rest stops close by. Our son potty trained the rest of the way at grandma and grandpa's because he thought it was so cool to use grandpa's potty!!!

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D.K.

answers from Denver on

I would have grandma have one, they are so cheap and much easier then dragging along one.
As great as it is to keep trying I would say over the holidays don't expect too much and maybe wait until after.
The littlest thing can throw kids off and cause regression.
If you are doing the partial potty training right now that is great, but being in a new place and a lot going on isn't a good time for potty training.
They have blow up pottys that you can put in the car but I would just have a plastic one at grandmas or the toilet cover type that are only like $10 at Target to just keep things going. Good luck.

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M.G.

answers from Salt Lake City on

When I potty trained my daughter I found a potty seat that fits in the rim of the toilet seat to be much easier, cleaner, and easier to transition to than a potty chair that goes on the ground. My daughter took to it easily, didn't have to re-learn how to use the 'big potty' and was great for traveling. It's also easily washable, just wipe any messes, wipe down after each use, and you're ready to go.I definitely plan on going the same route when it's my son's turn-there was even a detachable piece that fits inside the front to cut down on messes made by little boys. You may want to look into one :)

(mom of a 14 year old daughter and 11 month son)

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S.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Best potties to take w/ you or give to grandma are from IKEA. colorful, small, and under $5 each. you cant beat that! for that price, give one to sitter, keep one in each bathroom, takeit in the car!

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N.G.

answers from Louisville on

Hey there, we traveled from Colorado to Florida with my daughter who had been training for about two months. She was pretty good about potty big or small from the beginning. If you are driving, we found it great to have a little potty in the car for side of the road stops. That way we didn't have to pull into a rest stop/gas station every single time she had to tinkle. Also, I felt better about the cleanliness of our potty than any skanky road stop. We kept biodegradable tp in the car and would simply dump the pee pee in the grass if we had to stop. If we didn't have the bio paper or if she had to go #2 we would double bag it and put it in the potty until we were at a stop that had a trash can. I kept clorox wipes in the car as well so I could wipe it down after each use. We may have used the potty 4- 5 times during our entire trip. It was super useful in the middle of Kansas when we didn't have anywhere to stop. When we reached our destination, grammy's house- she had a Dora potty seat that we used. I think I was more anxious about the whole thing than my little one was. It worked out wonderfully and we only had one accident during our traveling time. Always keep extra clothes and wipes handy just in case. Oh, and she was using pullups at night during that time so when we left the house at 10pm to begin our trip, I just kept her in her pullup while she slept in the car. Good luck and hope this helped!

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E.W.

answers from Provo on

By "holidays", do you mean Thanksgiving and Christmas? How old exactly is your 2 year old?

Around 28 months is the "average" or "optimal" potty-training age. By 30 months you should know exactly what your child's fears are (falling off, falling in, etc., which you should not reinforce by acting scared too!). Our youngest, a 31-month-old, has already fallen in, and is therefore no longer afraid of that! In stores, at airports, at others' houses, etc., I just put down a toilet seat cover or toilet paper and bend over and hold him (just in case) for #2, which is rare, or he stands on my feet to be taller to go #1. We have the folding seat for the "diaper" bag but he has never used it. Also, if you are flying or driving for several hours, I recommend Pullups and frequently asking him/her if he/she needs to "go". We just went on vacation to California and did not have a single accident because we made sure his bladder stayed empty. So don't worry, it can be done. Just have extra clothes and wipes on hand in case of accidents! Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

One Step Ahead (you can find them online) has (or did have) a portable potty seat that just sits on the big potty. It folds & fits in a little sack. It has worked well for us.

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C.B.

answers from Denver on

You could buy a folding potty ring if he is willing to go on the big potty. Just keep it in a zip lock bag. You can also reduce stress by having him wear pull ups in case you just can't get to a potty on time, or the airplane potty freaks him out, etc. If he doesn't love the potty ring, then have Grandma buy a small potty. Most of all, don't have any expectations, because the traveling could affect his potty training in so many ways that you can't anticipate. If he needs/wants to regress, don't sweat it. Let him be in control and just dress him in diapers or pull ups to minimize any hassle for you if he regresses. He will get back on track when he feels ready. Good luck!

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D.W.

answers from Boise on

They have travel potty seats that fold up to fit in the diaper bag. You can also just take the one you have. But I personally like the the potty chair and just take the whole thing. Because if they have to go potty at an inconvenient time you can pull over, have them go, and dump it behind a bush. Have a great trip!

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