Potty Training while on vacation
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Updated: January 15, 2021
Have a trip planned but, your toddler is potty training? Potty training is a time where every outing and sip of water is thoroughly analyzed and internally debated by parents. Is potty training while on vacation something you should even attempt? In a time where failure leads to a mess and success equals treats and rewards, potty training while on vacation is possible and so worth it!
Potty Training Methods
There are a million potty training methods and everyone thinks theirs is best. We took many trips while potty training was underway and had great luck. Hopefully what worked for us works for you as well!.
What worked best for us was first talking to our son about potty training for months before we started. We would bring him into the bathroom with us and let him sit on his seat whenever he wanted to. Once we were ready to start (just after a trip to Norway) we told him how it was going to go and pretty much went cold turkey. We immediately stopped diapers during the day and let him pick his own big boy undies. It was late summer when we started so we spent as much time outside as we could. We also took him to the bathroom every hour to try. We kept diapers for night time at the very beginning.
We got lucky! Our son hated the feeling of wetting his undies and only did it a couple of times! A few weeks later, we stopped diapers at night and never looked back.
Back to the vacation! Below are items/tips that we found helpful while potty training during a road trip vacation.
Top 7 Items for Potty Training on the Go
#1 Travel Potty Seat
A portable folding, child travel toilet seat is worth its weight in gold for potty training while on vacation. A portable toilet seat can be used in gas stations, hotels and while visiting family. It prevents your toddler from falling into the toilet and from sitting on a public toilet.
There are a ton of options out there, but we like the version offered by Jionchery because it is foldable and has a ‘splash guard’ that can prevent a mess for boys. This design is also easy to wash and stash in a diaper clutch or purse. While potty training on the go, we frequently took our child travel toilet set into gas stations and hotels. Life saver, and it helped keep the momentum with potty training.
Pro Tip: If for some reason you forget your folding seat and you have a boy well on their way to being potty trained, you can stand them on the seat to go #1. This may not be your preferred method but, in a pinch, this works!
#2 Diaper Clutch
While you are moving away from diapers, we still recommend carrying a diaper clutch for potty training on the go. You may not be packing diapers anymore but, you will still need to carry other items on this list and this is really handy for that! What to pack in your diaper clutch? A change of clothes, extra undies, baby wipes, germ wipes, and a child travel potty seat.
We like the Skip Hop Pronto design but, there are a lot of brands offering similar products that just rock when it comes to packing items for potty training while on vacation.
#3 Changes of Clothes
For potty training while traveling (or even at home) we recommend pajamas or similar styled garments for your toddler. Whatever outfit you choose should be easy for them to pull down and up. No buttons or cute little overalls. This style clothing is also easy to pack backup outfits because they are small and compact. We recommend carrying two changes of clothes (including undies!) while potty training while traveling.
Our favorite pajamas are from Burt’s Bees because they are soft and well made but, Carter’s also makes excellent pajamas and is our go to for toddler underwear!
#5 Bribes...
Before having kids, you may have said that you would never stoop so low as to bribe your child. If you said this and have been successful then we are happy for you. For the rest of us, bribery is a part of everyday life with a toddler and potty training while on vacation is no different.
We recommend small treats like gummy bunnies (or similar) for this form of bribery. We did one gummy bunny for #1 and two gummy bunnies for #2. It is also super important to provide an instant reward so that they understand why they are getting a treat. We also may have gotten SUPER excited when our son used the potty and might have done a few dances and other embarrassing things.
Once they are well on their journey to being potty trained you can provide a small treat at the end of the day for being accident free then eventually a treat at the end of the week, etc. They will eventually forget that they were getting treats for going to the bathroom, so no worries on providing potty bribes for the rest of their childhoods.
#6 Wet/Dry Bags
What happens when the inevitable accident happens while potty training on the go? Just place the wet clothes in a wet/dry bag (or even a zip lock bag in a pinch), zip it up and move on with your day. The beauty of the wet/dry bag is that it gives you a place to put wet clothes without getting everything else in your bag wet and dirty.
Accidents are going to happen and it is best to be prepared. Try not to make a big deal out of an accident and instead focus on doing better next time and earning that treat! Ask your child a few questions like “How did you feel before your accident?” and “How do you feel now after your accident?”.
If your child has frequent potty training accidents in a car seat, you can add a waterproof car seat protector like this one from Britax.
Bumkins has cute wet/dry bags that are themselves washable and can be used even as your child grows past the potty training stage (and they will!).
# 7 Germ Wipes
A necessary evil going on a trip is the unavoidable gas station bathroom stops. If you are potty training on the road then you can’t be too picky on when/where you stop. Carrying germ wipes with you can make the experience feel less dirty as your child eventually touches every surface around them.
We gravitate towards Wet Ones because they come in travel packets but, any brand will do!
Potty Entertainment
If your child is struggling to stay still on the potty, we recommend a few books for entertainment! We realize this isn’t ideal for potty training on the road but, we all have to be flexible! Our favorite potty training books for children are ‘Potty’ by Leslie Patricelli and ‘P is for Potty’ by Naomi Kleinberg.
Potty Training While on Vacation - Summary
Potty training while traveling is definitely possible and so worth it! No need to put you and your family’s lives on hold due to potty training. Utilizing the potty training packing list above will make it easier but, being flexible and persistent are also key. Remember that the journey is often a big part of the adventure, not just the destination!
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