Potty training is a huge developmental milestone for your child, and teaching your child how to go when you are on the go away from home is another challenge for potty training boys and girls. Pull-Ups® is here to help with the Potty Partnership – a personalized, research-based way to train based on your child's personality.
You're just getting your child used to the idea of using the potty in the comfort of their own home and then you rock their universe by introducing potty training out in the real world. Potty training on-the-go is a whole new challenge, as your child may be facing unknown surroundings, an unfamiliar bathroom and a different potty seat.
Some children will be reluctant to go on a potty that is not theirs. Consider training your child to go at home on both his potty seat as well as the portable one that you will take with you. If they are familiar with both, it won't come as a surprise when you use the portable one away from home. Repetition helps and it may take lots of practice before a child who happily uses the potty at home will be willing to use a potty away from home. Keep the routine familiar even if the setting is different.
If you're traveling on a car or plane, you should discuss the process of prepping for airplane or roadside bathroom stops.
Keep potty training fun and entertaining when you're on-the-go by using the same games you'd use at home. These potty training techniques can also work for a reluctant potty trainer.
- Prepare your child for when she will need to go by scoping out the restrooms in an unfamiliar place with the seek and find game. Say, "I'll race you to the potty. Let's see if we can find it!" when you're at a restaurant, the mall, a park, etc.
- Keep his favorite potty book in your bag to read when your child is on the potty away from home. This will keep the routine familiar.
- Bring along a set of Potty Sequence Cards you can download here. These detail each step in the potty training process and will reassure your child that everything is still really the same.
- Add to your potty sticker chart in the bathroom at home for each potty success away from the house, or keep a separate travel potty reward chart in your bag and add an extra treat for this special accomplishment.
Just remember to be patient and consistent. Your toddler wants to learn to be in control of her body. Encourage this by avoiding the power and control struggles that easily become a hallmark of this age. Remember that you should be your child's potty partner rather than a potty supervisor. Check out more games, tricks and tools at https://www.pull-ups.com/en-us/.