Don't let holidays disrupt your routine
Holidays mean packing, hustle, bustle, shopping, travel, excitement, disrupted routine. All of these make potty training or toilet training more difficult than it would otherwise be. But if you’ve started potty training, there’s no going back. Follow these tips to stay on track:
At a glance
- Before you go, practise going to the loo in a variety of places so your child gets used to trying new toilets
- Be prepared for accidents. Holiday excitement means that they may leave it too late to make it to the loo on time
- Take frequent potty breaks if you’re driving long distances or queuing at the airport
- Summer holidays can be a great time for potty training. If you’re on a warm beach or campsite, you can let your toddler run around with no pants or nappy on. Just have the travel potty to hand along with wipes and nappy sacks. Don’t forget to pile the sun cream on that pale little bot though
- Get a portable toilet seat adapter for your holiday apartment or hotel room. Decorate it with holiday stickers so your child knows it belongs to her. Before you go on holiday practise going to the loo in a variety of different places so your child gets used to trying new toilets. Cafes, restaurants, shops will do
- Be prepared for accidents. Holiday excitement means that she may leave it too late to make it to the loo on time. Make light of accidents and pack lots of clothes and wipes for clean up. Consider training pants for long journeys or if you run into delays but don’t be tempted to revert to these for the whole holiday – inconsistency is confusing for your child
- Take frequent potty breaks if you’re driving long distances or queuing at the airport. Keep an eye on how much your child is drinking and make sure you ask if they need to go every half hour. Make sure you've been to the loo before you board a flight – it could be a while before you can get to the plane's loo
- Don’t deny your child a drink if they’re thirsty but don’t overdo the drinks during long journeys. Avoid fizzy drinks altogether as these stimulate the bladder
- It’s all about staying calm and being prepared. Protect the car seat or plane seat with a towel or waterproof mat, just in case. Remember an accident can’t ruin a journey, but your reaction to it can
A parents view
Darryl, dad to Katya (30 months) says: “We were driving to a family wedding and I packed lots of spare outfits for Katya knowing she would have an accident or two. What I didn’t realise is that she would also wee all over her socks and shoes too and I didn’t have any spare. Her feet were a bit soggy for the whole day.”