Road trips with a toddler can be intimidating if they are potty-training or newly potty-trained. The good news is that you can successfully take your toddler on a road trip without them having a potty-training regression!! Find help here on making an easy but effective toddler potty for road trips!
Yes, momma, YOU CAN DO THIS!
Before you leave for your trip, you may ask yourself:
- Should you put your child back in diapers for the car to protect their car seat from accidents?
- Should you keep your child in big kid under ware and help them use the bathroom at rest stops or restaurant bathrooms where you stop and hope for the best?
My husband and I just went on a trip where we needed to be in the car for about 20 hours over a couple of days. Our 2 year old who was recently potty-trained didn’t have one accident one time in the car! Since our method was so successful for our family, I detailed exactly what we did here with the hopes that it will be helpful to you.
Have a safe and peaceful trip!
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STEPS TO CONTINUE POTTY TRAINING ON ROAD TRIPS
1. We decided to keep our toddler in pull-ups while in the car seat while we were on our road trip. This allowed her to continue to feel more in control of her potty experience, while giving us (the parents) confidence of no accidents in the car seat itself.
2. We made a make-shift potty that she used in the privacy of the back seat of our car that allowed her to feel comfortable and relaxed enough to go. The best part was that it was EFFORTLESS TO CLEAN!
We used a 10 quart pail lined with a small (4 gallon) trash bag and covered the bottom with 3 sheets of paper towels for absorbency. Next, we rested our Munchkin potty seat on top of the pail (it fits PERFECTLY and is amazingly stable). Don’t forget to bring toilet paper, too.
3. Whenever our toddler asked to go potty while we were driving or approximately every 1-2 hours, we stopped to give an opportunity to try. We set up the toddler potty as described above (in STEP 2) in the floor board of the back seat of our car. This provided privacy and less distractions, which allowed our child to relax and go quite quickly. When our toddler successfully went, we heavily praised that behavior. Then we simply removed the trash bag and threw it out. EASY and NO MESS!
A few additional tips when traveling with a potty training toddler:
- Bring extra pants and pull-ups that are easily accessible
- Bring a stain removal pen for messes and spills
- Bring waterproof reusable wet/dry bags to store soiled clothes that you may generate while you are on the road
- Bring items you may need for your child to feel more comfortable and be stay cleaner in a public restroom
- These disposable toilet seat covers that work great for public restrooms with great coverage for a toddler’s legs and hands.
- I always carry small packs of disinfecting wipes to sanitize key surfaces too.
If you have any tips and tricks for traveling with a potty training toddler, please share your comment below! We would love to hear from you!
In addition to long road trips, it is great to be prepared each an every time you leave your house with your baby or toddler. Check out our posts on must-have items to pack in your everyday diaper bag, and our must-have traveling items with babies and toddlers!
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