Use these genius tips to take the stress out of leaving the house while potty training.
Is there anything worse than leaving the house while potty training a toddler that isn’t secured with a diaper? Even the calmest of parents feel quite freaked out when venturing out of the house for the first time with their un-diapered kid.
What if she wets herself? Or there isn’t a bathroom nearby? What if people see?
It really is quite nerve racking. Having been through this ordeal and having come out of it with my sanity intact, I would like to share with you some super helpful strategies that I used to make the process a whole lot smoother. And I really hope they help you as much they helped me!
This post is about leaving the house while potty training
15 Superb Tips for Leaving the House While Potty Training
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1. Make a trip to the toilet right before leaving the house
This is a habit you need to inculcate in your kids from day 1.
One of the rules we have in our house for the kids is: you ALWAYS have to go to the toilet before you leave the house.
It doesn’t matter if they feel like going or not – they still go to the toilet and sit. A lot of times my kids will say to me that they don’t need to go, but once they actually sit on the potty they end up going anyway.
Develop this as a habit. So that your kids instinctively know that even if they’re heading out for a short trip to the local grocery shop or a quick visit to the park, a last minute toilet trip is mandatory.
2. Limit intake of liquids an hour before going out
The first few days and weeks of leaving the house while potty training is scary. I totally get it because I’ve been there. You’re constantly panicking about your child having an accident and what you’re going to do about this.
This is something that helped me: the first few days of leaving the house, I made sure that my toddler hadn’t had any liquids an hour before leaving the house.
Then I made a super quick 10 minute trip outside and rushed back home. After doing this a couple of times, I felt confident in my ability to step outside of the house with my toddler without her having a diaper on.
This is a good tactic to use for the first few days when you’re extra nervous about leaving the house while potty training.
3. Start off with short trips outside
To minimize the stress associated with leaving the house while potty training, it’s always a good idea to start off with short trips. Take 10-15 minute trips to your local park, mall or grocery store.
For your first few trips out of the house, start small. Take a walk around the block. Zip over to grandma’s house. Run a quick errand. Try to be gone for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
kandookids
Then as both you and your toddler get more confident and comfortable, gradually start increasing the duration.
This is a hack that helped me a lot in smoothly easing into getting out of the house with a diaper-free toddler.
4. Get your child used to using a different potty
One of the common problems that many parents face is dealing with a toddler who is scared of going to a toilet that’s not the one at home.
Help your child overcome this fear by making them use different toilets in the house (if you have more than one). If you’re using a portable potty, place it in different areas of the house to get them used to different environments.
Take them along to their grandma’s or aunt’s house and use the toilet there. This will help your toddler understand that there are different kinds of bathrooms and seats and we simply use the toilet that’s nearest us when we have to go.
5. Try to commit to diaper free outings
A lot of parents (and I have been guilty of this mistake myself!) try to use the diaper as a clutch for when they are leaving the house while potty training.
So they’ll spend all that energy into training their child to potty train at home but when it’s time to head out, they’ll put the diaper or pull up on them.
This can easily confuse your child and contribute to them regressing. Now that they have their snug diaper on, its tempting for them to go back to their old habit of doing it in there.
Avoid training diapers when possible. A pull-up diaper is exactly the same as a diaper and kids think they can do the same thing in it.
todaysparents
6. Give yourself a break for longer trips
Having said that, it’s important to acknowledge that you’re a human and you sometimes need a break. So if you’ve just started potty training and now have to head out for a long time period, especially a long car ride or flight, then it’s best for everyone’s sanity to just put a diaper or pull up on.
However make sure to explain to your toddler to try their best to keep the diaper dry. Offer a small reward that they’ll get at the end if their diaper stays dry. Encourage them to tell you when they have to go so you can find the nearest toilet and use that instead of doing it in the diaper.
7. Choose appropriate clothing
Want to avoid accidents when you’re out and about with your little one? Choose clothing that is loose and can easily be pulled up and down.
Avoid clothes that involve fiddling around with straps, zippers and buttons. Your little one has very little bladder control when he starts training so be intentional in what clothes you pick when heading out.
“Opt for stretchy pants with elastic waists that pull up and down without any buttons, buckles, zippers or ties, avoid one-piece outfits like overalls, and let girls wear dresses or skirts as often as they’d like” Whattoexpect.com
8. Visit places that have toilets
In the early days of potty training on the go, it helps to visit those places which have a toilet. That way, you don’t need to get stuck in a situation where you’re out with your toddler who desperately needs to go but there aren’t any public bathrooms in sight.
I remember when i was potty training my toddler, there was a really nice mall at a 7 minute walking distance from my house. In the beginning days of leaving the house while potty training, I used to take my toddler there because there were public bathrooms there and they were suuuuper clean.
This turned out to be a very good tactic as it helped my toddler practise her skills of using public bathrooms. I also got a chance to help her overcome any fear she had about using public bathrooms. These fears can be the unfamiliar toilet seat or the loud flushing sound (try covering the sensor with your hand so the flush sound doesn’t surprise and scare your toddler).
9. Don’t wait till the last minute
Another really useful tip to avoid accidents when you’re potty training on the go is to not wait until the last minute.
Don’t wait for your toddler to start hopping around like a bunny yelping that they need to go.
Instead, have a rough idea in your head when your toddler last used the bathroom and when they would most likely need to use it again.
So let’s say you left the house at 3pm and your toddler used the bathroom right before heading out. Now you’re at a busy mall and it’s 3: 45 and your toddler hasn’t yet started tugging at your arm saying they need to go.
It’s best to err on the side of caution and just take them to the nearest bathroom. Most likely they will relieve themselves and you would’ve saved yourself from a lot of last minute running around and panicking.
When you’re busy crossing items off that grocery list or catching up on the latest news from friends and family, don’t be so distracted that you miss your child’s signals that they have to go.Pullups.com
Note: Every child is different and has a different cycle and bladder control. As a parent you would know best when its time to take them
10. Get a travel potty
The importance of getting a travel potty cannot be overstated. So much of the stress associated with potty training when going out will be lifted once you get one. You don’t need to worry about trying to find public bathrooms and you can quickly and easily whip it out wherever you are.
Ideally you want to get one that is lightweight, can be folded down and can easily be stashed away in a wet/dry pouch ready to take along.
These are parent favorite travel pottys on Amazon:
Portable Potty Training Seat for Toddler Kids
Honboom Portable Potty Training Seat for Toddler
I’ve used mine at the park, the zoo, at the back of a car, while going on treks, at the airport etc etc…you get the gist.
There is one brilliant hack that I use that I would like to share with you.
Having a travel potty is great but what if there are people around? How do you get some privacy while your child has a go? I have a pop up portable play tent for the girls that’s big enough to place the potty seat and yet it can be folded completely flat and compact in a few seconds.
This way I have a portable toilet at my fingertips and it takes me seconds to set it up!
11. Be ready to handle accidents like a pro
“Potty training accidents aren’t predictable; that’s why they’re called accidents. But you can be prepared for them should they occur even at the most inconvenient time” Pottygenius.com
As a parent, what’s your biggest fear about leaving the house while potty training a toddler?
It’s an accident! The fear of pee splurting out. Having to deal with not just the mess but also the embarrassment.
It’s super important to be ready to handle accidents like a pro. And what i mean by that is…be prepared!
- Carry extra diapers and flushable wipes for emergencies
- Take your travel potty or travel potty insert with you all the time
- Make sure you are carrying extra clothing with you wherever you go
- You definitely need to have a wet/dry bag for carrying soiled clothes
- Carry absorbant microfiber cloths and disinfectant wipes so you can quickly clean up messes.
Don’t want to have to remember to carry all this stuff with you every time you leave the house? Simply make a bag once filled with all these things and take it with you everywhere.
I know you thought your days of carrying a diaper bag were over once your child hit the toddler years. Sorry, you’ll need to whip out your diaper bag again and use it for at least another 1-2 years!
12. Protect the carseat
Speaking of accidents…do remember to save the car seat. Getting a waterproof padding that protects the seat from spills and stains will help you feel more relaxed when driving the car.
13. Don’t be embarrassed to head to the bushes
If your child really needs to go and you don’t have your travel potty with you OR emergency diapers and there isn’t enough time to rush to the nearest public toilet…then bushes it is!
Find a place where there aren’t too many passersbys and make sure there aren’t any thorny or spiky plants sticking out.
Teach your child to squat (and if you have a plastic bag you can make them do it in that) clean them up and remember to disinfect both your hands. You can do the rest of the cleaning up once you get home.
This is definitely NOT the most ideal situation to be in and I do realize it sounds gross. However we are talking about tiny humans that have very little bladder control and it’s an emergency! After all, desperate times call for desperate action.
14. Don’t be afraid to ask strangers for cooperation
If your child is hopping around like a wiggly bunny trying to hold it in, then don’t feel shy about asking strangers for help. If there’s a long queue in a public bathroom and your child can’t hold it in, ask the people in front if you can skip the line.
Most people are very understanding about this. They can see you’re in a tight situation and will gladly help you out.
15. Celebrate the first dry day out
Please don’t forget to celebrate. Make a big deal out of your child’s first day out of the house without a diaper on and how they managed to keep it dry. Reiterate how proud you are of them and how they’re so grown up now!
Kids love the praise and it makes them motivated to try to stay dry the next time they head out again.
And there you have it. 15 tips that helped me ease into potty training on the go. I wish you the absolute best in your potty training journey ahead 🙂
Ready to take the stress out of potty training? Interested in getting your toddler excited to train? Check out this potty training value pack that will transform your potty training journey from stressful to fun!
This post was about leaving the house while potty training
What problems do you struggle with when leaving the house while potty training? Let us know in the comments section.
Read these next:
15 Steps to Potty Train a Stubborn Toddler Girl in 3 Days
Potty Training Essentials You Absolutely Can’t Do Without
20 Genius Potty Training Reward Ideas (that seriously work!)
Toddler Keeps Removing the Diaper – 10 Foolproof Hacks You Need to Try
10 Truly Awful Potty Training Mistakes You Should Know About
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