Potty training questions

[heart of peace]

These questions are for after the initial potty training of your child.

How long did you wait to go on errands away from home with your child in underwear? How did you deal with public toilets (specifically the size of them)? Did you always carry extra clothing and if so, for how long? What did you do for extended drives in the car?

OneStepAhead sells this fold up contraption to take along with you when you are out and about that goes over the public toilet seats to make them more accomodating for their little bums. Has anyone ever used it?

 

[sparassidae]

1) how long?- as soon as they switched to underwear at home I took them out in underwear. I find they are so proud to be out of nappies that it would be confusing for them to have to wear them again. People seem to understand very little ones having a toileting accident.

2) public toilets?- we just deal with them. Here in Australia most shopping centres will have a parent's room that is meant for feeding, but also usually has a small toilet. We use those if possible, but if not I will help by holding them so they don't feel like they are going to fall.

3) extra clothing?- yes, and for at least a year or so. Not only for toilet accidents, but small children are messy and they may spill something on themselves, fall (or play ) in a puddle etc. I only stop carrying a change of clothes when they get to about 4yo.

4) drives in the car?- be prepared to stop with no notice . If we go on a long drive during those first couple of months after toilet training, we might sit them on a folded towel in their carseat, for absorbency in case of an accident (usually when asleep). We also carry a self contained potty (ie not a toilet seat one) in case we are stuck out on the highway and someone needs to use the toilet.

5) that contraption?- never seen one, wouldn't use it because I already carry enough stuff around .

Hope this helps.

 

[lucypevensie]

How long did you wait to go on errands away from home with your child in underwear?
Pretty quickly, really. Once they were trained they were trained. They didn't pee pants at home, so they didn't while out either

How did you deal with public toilets (specifically the size of them)?Very reluctantly. If there was a handicap stall we used that one because there was more room for me to stand and help. After checking the seat I had them sit on the side of the seat and hold the handicap bar with their hands. There was always a bath at home after using a public toilet. yick. Did you always carry extra clothing and if so, for how long?Yes, for a while. After some time I felt safe enough to leave the extra outfit in the car. Little clothes don't take up much space. The clothes came in handy for other things too, like a big spill or a messy meal.
What did you do for extended drives in the car? Plan on stopping often! So give yourself extra time to drive. A few times they used the "I gotta go!" line just to get out of the car and tour another bathroom - to see what it looked like, I guess

OneStepAhead sells this fold up contraption to take along with you when you are out and about that goes over the public toilet seats to make them more accomodating for their little bums. Has anyone ever used it?No, but I think it's kinda cool!

 

[heart of peace]

Thank you for your replies, they are providing me with ideas and things to think about! Please, keep them coming if you feel so inclined with sharing.

 

[TCat]

My DD has finally finished potty training!!! We ran our errands and went everywhere in underwear early on. Once she decided she was finished with diapers she refused to wear them.

DD seems to be able to "hold it" for a long time so we have never had any accidents or need for a clothing change away from home. So far at least...

I hang on to her when using a regular toilet so that she feels more secure but I felt she needed to get used to using a regular size seat when away from home because she may not be with me or have a "trainer seat".

 

[AJ29]

We stayed home for a week or so (until potty training seemed to be mastered), then for the next couple of weeks, we ventured out to "safe" places - grandma's house and friends' houses, where I knew he would feel "safe" to go and use the toilet, or would be allowed to water the lawn

I put a plastic cover in his car seat, but it was never necessary.

My son has been toilet trained since early this year, and I still carry changes of clothes with me. If he gets too tired or distracted, or I forget to remind him, we may have accidents. He often lets out a drip or 2, then realises he is busting, so races to the toilet. Spare underwear comes in handy and is easy enough to carry.

 

[Stan53]

How long did you wait to go on errands away from home with your child in underwear? We didn't wait. We had our eldest in training pants, which was a waste of time as she never have an accident.
How did you deal with public toilets (specifically the size of them)? If there was no child's toilet seat available then we held her over the pan until she has done what a girl had to do.
Did you always carry extra clothing and if so, for how long? Yes, for around 12 months as I recall.
What did you do for extended drives in the car? We timed a toilet break every two hours and no longer. Mostly it was around one hour. We flew with our eldest not long after she was trained. We thought we might have an accident then, but no, all was good.

 

[Birbitt]

I went out with my children as soon as they were potty trained, and I always carried spare clothing just in case. Also the big toilets I would crouch in front of my child and hold him on the toilet so he felt secure. Long trips we would wear pull ups just in case (the boys never minded that) but if your child isn't comfortable wearing pull ups during long trips then you could get the extra thick undies (the cloth training undies) and put rubber pants over to protect the car seats. Also when we took long drives we tried to stop as often as possible. Every 100-150 miles we would stop either at a rest stop or a gas station or restaurant to stretch our legs, use the potty, get a drink, whatever was needed.

 

[heart of peace]

We stayed home for a week or so (until potty training seemed to be mastered), then for the next couple of weeks, we ventured out to "safe" places - grandma's house and friends' houses, where I knew he would feel "safe" to go and use the toilet, or would be allowed to water the lawn

THat's basically what I just did with him. I waited a week to venture out to a "safe place" (the library for me). It is unfortunate that the children's bathroom isn't appropriately sized for them.

I think I am going to go forthe toilet contraption. I remember going to Jones Beach in Long Island NY as a youngster and thinking the waves were 10 ft high or more and I was extremely frightened of the water because of that. As an adult, I realized they were merely 2 ft high but that goes to show how the "adult world" appears to a youngster. I had great fears of the big toilet as a kid as well (that I'd fall in and the witch from the Wizard of Oz was going to get me, which I rationalized away that since there is water in the toilet, she'd melt before she got to me...hehe). But even so, I refused to go to the bathroom alone or with the door closed for YEARS!!!! If I had a contraption like that, I feel certain that my fears would not have been as intense.

 

[AJ29]

I forgot to say - we have a similar toilet seat contraption thingo for at home - I just never got around to buying the fold up version to take out.

Another option is to have him sit facing backwards on the toilet - that can feel a little more secure (and gives them the wall to lean their hands on). I never tried it, but someone suggested it to me - it made sense!

It won't be long and he will be standing up for most things anyway - that will be easier still!

 

[GolfingMom]

How long did you wait to go on errands away from home with your child in underwear?

I didn't wait. Day one of training I went out with the kiddo's. OS did great until we got to the car and he pee'd everywhere. NO biggy. He learned it felt gross. That was his one accident away from home


How did you deal with public toilets (specifically the size of them)?

We never purchased a potty training toilet. WE used our regular toilet at home. We did have a little insert which we used now and then but the kiddo's learned on a regular sized toilet and learned to balance themselves.

Did you always carry extra clothing and if so, for how long?
I had an underwear and sweats in the car for a few months. I actually gave them to a friend whose child had an accident and never replaced my stash in the car


What did you do for extended drives in the car? WE had the kiddo's use the rest room RIGHT before we left. Stopped 1/2 way to our destination and then at our destination. 4 hour drive total.

OneStepAhead sells this fold up contraption to take along with you when you are out and about that goes over the public toilet seats to make them more accomodating for their little bums. Has anyone ever used it?
No.

 

[marezee]

How long did you wait to go on errands away from home with your child in underwear?
As soon as they were potty trained.

How did you deal with public toilets (specifically the size of them)?
mostly we didn't, because they only had to pee, and I have all boys, so they peed standing up. If they had to have a BM, we helped them balance on the toilet.

Did you always carry extra clothing and if so, for how long?
My boys are 5, 4, & 2, and I still carry extra clothing for all three of them. because you just never know! My 4yr old still has an accident every now and then.

What did you do for extended drives in the car?
If we were going to be in the car for more than an hour, I would initially use pull-ups. After about 3 months, I got rid of the pull-ups altogether, and just stopped at a store if they had to pee.
We never used a portable potty in the car or public restroom.

 

[jgonz]

OneStepAhead sells this fold up contraption to take along with you when you are out and about that goes over the public toilet seats to make them more accomodating for their little bums. Has anyone ever used it?

I have one of these (it looks a little different since it's a Lot older) but it has been a god-send, literally! We used it at home as well as when we went out.

It's easy to fold up (I keep mine in a gallon-sized ziploc when we go out), easy to clean, and it fits easily in a diaper bag or tote bag. Plus, it's Familiar, so the child already knows how it's going to feel to sit on (so it doesn't matter what size or shape toilet you put it on).

As far as the rest of the questions, I "played it by ear" depending on each individual child... Some were much easier to take out & about during potty-training, while others, No Way (so I'd put them in a PullUp every time we went out for a long time).