How to travel with a toddler toilet trained?

amother

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 7:52 pm

My nephews Bar Mitzvah is coming up by midwinter vacation and we are a 10 hour drive away. My 2 and a half year old is fully toilet trained during the day. How does traveling work with stopping, going to the bathroom....do I put on a pullup for the trip?

realsilver

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 7:57 pm

I would do a pullup.

there are people that put a potty in the trunk but that wouldnt work for me.

amother

Valerian

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:01 pm

When my kid was trained they were trained. I would try to minimize drinks for 2 hours before and try giving lots of drinks before that. It can be hard and stressful. I have put a diaper on for the ride but none of my kids made in them. So my kid says my stomach hurts and needs the bathroom, we try to make a bathroom stop as soon as we can. Some times it's 20 minutes and sometimes an hour. I try to diatract my kiddo. It can and will be stressful but my kid wouldn't make in diaper or pull up. They were trained. Make periodic bathroom stops and your child must go at those stops. No other advice honestly.

amother

Cherry

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:02 pm

We kept a potty with us in the van at all times. No pull-ups. That's very difficult and confusing for a potty trained child.

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:04 pm

No pull up! Have a potty and bags in the car. Line the potty or just pour urine in the grass near the car. Also map out stops and stop every so often.

amother

Geranium

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:07 pm

During the height of covid ppl traveled by car and used a bucket toilet instead of going into rest stops.

amother

Steel

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:07 pm

I always did a pull up or diaper for my kids and also took them to the bathroom by rest stops. It didn’t confuse them or cause a regression with toilet training.

amother

Bluebell

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:22 pm

amother Cherry wrote:

We kept a potty with us in the van at all times. No pull-ups. That's very difficult and confusing for a potty trained child.

My kids all traveled in pull ups when they were little, and there was no confusion or regression. We call it a car panty.

amother

DarkKhaki

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:24 pm

Gotta know your kid...I just did a 6+ hour drive with a trained 2.5 year old. We went before we got in the car so she should understand this is it for a while, and we stopped about every 2.5-3 hours. I knew it would work because this kid holds it in (almost too well!) I also knew the route, and we were never more than 30-40 miles from a rest stop, so worst case we'd just make an extra stop
I wouldn't have done a pull-up either
I was thinking of lining the car seat with a towel just in case, but I didnt and BH we didn't need it

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 8:28 pm

Majority of kids regress from a pull up. It's really not worth finding out the hard way. If they are toilet trained just have a potty they should be able to hold it like they do at home until you can pull over.

amother

Thistle

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 9:26 pm

I have not personally experienced with my children or heard firsthand from someone I know that a child regressed from wearing a pull-up for a car ride. I did it all the time and never had an issue.

Giraffe

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 9:47 pm

Also did pull-ups as a backup after potty training but my daughter understood it was meant as a last resort and not to intentionally relieve in there if she can wait.

amother

Chocolate

Fri, Dec 22 2023, 5:44 am

Potty with a sponge inside. We just kept a potty in the trunk. Also keep lots of sponges. Put a sponge in when they go #1 and it will soak it up. Bring bags to throw out the sponges. If they need #2, can put baking paper or a bag at the bottom of the potty and then put in a garbage bag. For such a long trip, probably also worthwhile to bring alcohol wipes or something similar to wipe down the potty after use.

And lots of rest stops.

amother

Dimgray

Fri, Dec 22 2023, 6:34 am

amother Thistle wrote:

I have not personally experienced with my children or heard firsthand from someone I know that a child regressed from wearing a pull-up for a car ride. I did it all the time and never had an issue.

This. I do not use Pull Ups when toilet training because they feel like it's a diaper, but when traveling I will put it on (sometimes below the underwear so they don't actually feel it) just so I don't have to worry about an accident if it happens. I would still make frequent bathroom stops though.