All parents of potty-training little boys must face the traveling dilemma sooner or later. How do you keep up with potty training while your child is stuck in his car seat for possibly hours? Even if you only have to do a cross-town trip, you may stress over how to get from point A to point B without any potty accidents.
If you are the mom, potty training while traveling can pose additional difficulties if your husband or partner is not traveling with you. If you do have a man traveling with you, they can often take your little guy into the men’s room where accuracy, apparently, isn’t as much an issue as it is in the women’s restroom.
However, if you are traveling with your potty training little guy (with or without dad), then here are some great tips:
1. Purchase a small, collapsible plastic stool. This can be a life saver! I purchased a model called the E-Z Foldz Collapsible Step Stool from a nearby home improvement store for about $10. It folds to just a couple of inches and only weighs a few pounds. I let my son choose his favorite color so he would be interested in this device. This stool can be easily stored in your car for on-the-go emergencies. Bring the stool with you whenever you travel so your little one can actually use the potty. You can even carry it on to airplanes.
Since restrooms are designed for adults, the actual potty may be intimidating for your little guy. The folding stool will help him reach the toilet either standing or sitting. Plus, you have the added benefits of your little guy not needed to touch the toilet seat (eww!) to pull himself up and he may aim better.
You can then collapse the stool and bring it out to the sink area so your son can wash his hands. For me, holding my son up while he washes his hands is almost impossible.
Get a permanent marker and make a big production out of writing his name on the stool. For example, you could write “John’s special potty stool.”
2. Pack at least 2 extra sets of underwear, pants, and socks. Why? Sooner or later your son will have a potty accident while traveling. Try not to stress over it. Instead, pack extra clothes so you can change him as soon as possible. In our situation, we switched to big-boy underwear rather than pull-ups to help with the potty training. Pull-ups “hide” the wetness so your child may rely upon them longer.
3. Place a small absorbent towel on your child’s car seat. This tip is useful during early potty training. If your child does have an accident, then the towel will protect the car seat. As your child becomes potty trained, you may not need the towel.
4. Pull over and use rest stops more often. If your child says that he does not have to pee, pull over at rest areas anyway. Take the potty stool and make him try to use the restroom. Sometimes the sound of running water will encourage so turn on the sink.
If there isn’t a rest area conveniently located and you have an emergency, what do you do? In rare cases, I have pulled over and let my son pee on a rock. Since potty training kids are so little, you can hide them by having the car door open while they go. Passer-bys will never know what is happening. You just need to teach your boy that going to the bathroom outdoors is not acceptable in all situations.
5. Let him pick out his special big boy underwear. If your son has a choice in his underwear, he may be less apt to have an accident.
6. Reward him. For each successful outing, reward him with a small, non-food treat. For example, give him a new coloring book, a pack of stickers, or a balloon. For longer trips, have little surprises tucked away that you can give him with each successful potty job.
7. Finally, encourage him gently and praise often. If you show frustration, then your child will pick up on your emotions and may resist potty training. If he simply won’t go potty while on the road, then wait a few weeks and try again.
