Potty Training and Traveling

Potty Training and Traveling: Strategies to Keep Your Child’s Development on the Fast Track

Potty training can be a challenging period in your child’s development. It can therefore be a challenge when traveling any sort of distance in your car while they are still learning some good toilet habits. Whatever you do, don’t allow potty training to derail your travel plans.

Here are some tips and ideas to help, including when it’s the right time to plan your trip, using a travel potty, and coping with public restrooms and other training dilemmas.

Timing can be everything

Some kids get the hang of potty training at a faster rate than others, but it would not be a great idea to start your training regime just before you are planning a long trip.

You might be itching to get on the road with your Dodge Grand Caravan, but you are probably asking for trouble on the trip if you don’t give your child enough time to learn the basics of potty training beforehand.

You risk the prospect of a regression if you try to rush the process. It would be better to set aside some extra time a few weeks for home-based training before you plan to take a road trip.

Taking a fully potty-trained child on a long trip is a much better option compared to taking them halfway through their education. Timing can be everything when it comes to successful potty training.

Pack the travel potty

It is best to try avoiding any unnecessary stress or unfortunate incidents once you are in the car and traveling to your destination. A good strategy would be to bring a travel potty with you in the car.

Most travel potties have a disposal bag attached to the seat, which makes the cleanup process a whole lot easier and keeps the toilet training on track. It helps to know that you have this option available when there are no restrooms close by.

A travel potty is the best option when you are in the middle of potty training and don’t want to lose any momentum with their progress. However, you might consider packing some pull-ups for occasional use.

It is easy to understand why some parents are against the idea of using pull-ups. It can feel like you are taking a backward step, yet, it can work as an option if you explain to your child that they are wearing a pull-up only in case they can’t get to a potty in time.

Introducing public restrooms

It makes sense to introduce public restrooms to your child as part of the potty training process.

Many kids find these environments quite intimidating. Help them to cope by bringing a portable fold-up seat. They often find the seat too large unless they sit sideways on it.

Prepare them for the automatic flush. You might be used to it but your child might be frightened by such a loud and unexpected flush.

Potty training doesn’t always go to plan. Taking a road trip will test their progress and accidents can and do happen. As long as you have done all you can to prepare them for the journey beforehand, you will just have to accept that potty training and long-distance traveling don’t always mix that well.

Jessica Wallis writes about Mommy topics! She has a 7 year old and a 9 month old so life is busy! Jess is a freelancer who works from home, or on the road, as the family take off for road-trips into the wilderness from time to time.