Anxiety can rear its head when you’re potty training away from home. Will your child use a public toilet? Will all your hard work be wasted simply by leaving the house? We look into the things you can do to help potty training in public go as smoothly as possible.
To help with Potty Training away from home, we have Training Pants to help with your Daytime Training.
What to Do When Potty Training Away from Home
You’re about to leave the house and head out the supermarket. Your beginner potty trainer is coming with you, but they’ll be fine. How hard can it be to transfer their toileting skills at home into ones they use in a public toilet?
Then it happens. You get a “Mummy, I’m busting.” The trolley is left in the middle of the aisle and you make a mad dash to the closet toilet. You get into a cubicle and usher your child towards the toilet. They then refuse to use it: what do you do now?
Here are some strategies for you to try:
Cover the toilet’s flush sensor – an automatic flushing toilet can flush at any time. Cover the sensor so this doesn’t happen.
Comfort – explain to your child that this toilet is just like their toilet at home. You will be there, and will make sure they won’t fall into it, or off of it.
Lift your child – short boys who stand to wee may need lifting up. This helps them to avoid resting their willy on a cold toilet bowl. Little girls may like being held while they sit on the seat.
Portable potty – bringing your potty with you avoids the need to use the public toilet at all. Not ideal, but at least it’s familiar to use.
Sit sideways – sitting sideways on a toilet seat helps your child feel more comfortable, and less concerned about falling into the bowl.
Rewards – bribery is always useful, so be sure to keep some great rewards with you to encourage your child to go wees.
Accidents happen, so be sure to bring a spare change of clothes with you. Training pants can also be a life saver, absorbent enough to catch those little leaks until you reach the toilet. Best of luck!
