Do You Put Diapers on Newly Potty Trained Toddler When You Go Out?

Updated on January 27, 2011
A.G. asks from Los Angeles, CA
27 answers

if not, do you bring the potty ring with you so he can go in the toilet in public restroom? what do you moms do? my 3 yo just potty trained at home but outside, what do we do? suggestions that worked for you pls, thanks

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

Nope, you hold the child on the toilet so they don't fall in. I never got too dependent on those toilet rings because there was no way I'd be able to take it with me all the time.

3 moms found this helpful
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E.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I put the pull up *over* the underwear when my twins were newly potty-trained - that way they still had the 'feel' of underwear on, but if they had an 'oops' they just had to change their underwear and not the whole outfit. If we were at a place like a public park, I'd bring the Baby Bjorn one-piece potty and (tip I learned from another mom of twins) put a plastic grocery bag over it *before* the child sat down on it, so all the business went into the bag and you could just tie it up and dispose of it. I would sometimes bring the potty ring with me on long outings just because with two in tow, it was easier for me to put the clean potty ring down on the public toilet seat and know that 1. my kid wouldn't have to worry about falling in; 2. if she put her hands down, it would most likely be on her own potty ring and not the public toilet.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I always kept a "Potette Plus" with me in my "diaper" bag (which was usually a backpack). I have had to use it many times, both in the car and when we're out with no bathroom nearby. The Potette Plus (with disposable bags) is small enough to carry with me, and can be used as both a toilet seat topper as well as a standalone potty. I've had to set it up on the ground while in line at Disneyland and it worked perfectly (no one with half a brain would care). Now that my child is a little older and can hold his pee a little longer (at least until I can get to a regular toilet), I just replaced the Potette with a thin, folding toilet seat topper.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

One additional tip on using public restrooms with a young kid: Kids often are terrified of the "self-flushing" toilets in public restrooms. They're sitting there, they shift their weight a little or try to pop up and then sit down and WHOOOSH, the toilet seems to be exploding right under their bare bottoms. Very scary for them and one time of it happening can be enough to put a kid off using any public toilet, even when you assure the child it's not that kind and can't flush while he's on it! Solution: Bring a small roll of masking tape in your bag and stick a piece over the sensor "eye" on the toilet back before the child gets on. This means the auto-flush can't work until you remove the tape when he's done and off the seat. Hope that's a helpful tip. It helped us a lot to cover the eye, even when I had to just hold my palm over it because I didn't have the tape with me....

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A.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Have them go potty before you leave, whether they need to or not, and if you're going to a house take your potty ring, if youre out running errands I wouldnt. Be sure to ask if they need to use the potty while youre out and there is a bathroom.

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J.F.

answers from Minneapolis on

I didn't read all the suggestions, but thought I'd add mine. My 3 yr old is just recently potty trained as well. She earned a backpack for filling her rewards chart. It turned out to be a blessing for me, too.

The backpack has a pouch in the front where we put the fold-up seat and the inside of the pack has clean pants, underwear, and socks (just in case), as well as some wipes, and hand sanitizer. SHE LOVES TAKING IT WITH HER! It is also a reminder of her accomplishments and the need to go on her own. She is very proud to tell people all about it.

To answer your questions, we will NOT go back to diapers if our life depended on it! She wears only underwear out and we try to go before we go out and when we arrive somewhere. I remind her often to not pee in the car! Lol. No problems at all!!!

We only wear pull-ups at night and once we have a week of dry ones, we'll go without for good. Looks like that will be sometime this weekend!

GOOD LUCK!!!!

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M.C.

answers from Tampa on

The first month or so after training, I had a bag that contained an extra ring, chlorox wipes, kudo wipes and a ziploc with two changes of undies/clothes. My guy was intimidated by public toilets at first but was fine if I added his familiar ring. I think this was a good transitional step. After about a month or so, we ran a quick errand to the grocery store and I forgot my "to go potty bag" and he told me that he had to go. He threw a tiny fit at first when I said I forgot the ring...but urge took over and he used the public toilet that day and was ok with them after that. He still HATES the sound of hand dryers though..sometimes wants to leave immediately if someone is using one. I agree with the others that if you put him in a diaper for outings that you are just prolonging the process. I think if they wear a diaper, they will use it. I was very stresed the first several times we went out in undies...I finally told myself there are far worse things in life than having to change his clothes because he peed his pants :-) Good luck.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

no way. when we were done with diapers -WE WERE DONE!

1 mom found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Modesto on

It's time to use the public toilet system.

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K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

No going back to the diapers.

Ask him/her to go potty before you leave.

~Not sure about the 'potty ring'...we never used anything, just the regular old toilet...and when you are out and about and near a restroom ask if they have to go?

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M.G.

answers from Little Rock on

don't change their undie attire simply cause you're out and and about. will hinder the potty trainig process

use a larger hand bag for a purse and take a change of clothes or two for accidents and put a plastic bag in there with the clean clothes and put the accidented clothes in the bag and tie it up until you get home :)

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I DO!

Maybe if I didn't have a younger child who I would have to hold on the toilet as well, but yes, my kid who was newly potty trained had to wear a diaper if it was just me. (If me and my hubby went together, he could wear underpants though, since one parent could hold each child).

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S.H.

answers from Detroit on

I got a portable potty and leave it in our vehicle and would mostly use that. I got a portable one from onestepahead.com; love it... still use it 2.5 years later!

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

No diapers, but I bring a pee-pee bottle (I have a boy) that he can use in a real emergency and a change of clothes just in case.

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M.K.

answers from Kansas City on

It's situational. When we went to the state fair (places with port-o-potties or long lines) yes, we put a pull up on. He didnt' have to use it and could ask to go and we would take him and do the whole balance on the edge/hold him up thing but it was nice to have the back up.

For everyday places, no, we just brought an extra set of clothes.

I wouldn't bring a potty ring (i have one and it was a pain in the rear-literally (sometimes it pinched him!)) but just line the toilet with TP or paper towel if needed.

R.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

I potty trained my son at 3, we would not put a diaper or pull up on him, but when we would go out I would bring an extra bag with a whole outfit including shoes just in case he had an accident. Thankfully we didn't have to use it but once. We wouldn't bring a toilet ring either but because he was old enough to understand that he was a big kid and that there is no ring in public restrooms. But everyone has different methods that work for them. Maybe try to leave him without a diaper or pull up and see how it goes if that is too much for him and he has way too many accident then use a pull up. I will tell you though that because my son didn't use anything I would keep a close eye on him, to see if he was dancing around or grabbing himself, which he did at first instead of letting me know he had to go. and don't hesitate to run to the bathroom cause when they gotta go they gotta go! GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

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V.F.

answers from Santa Fe on

No. That said, I have a 'potty seat' that you can take with you anywhere, and can be used as needed. (Public bathrooms with kids that touch everything are pretty bad....) (We have taken this hiking, road trips, to the park, to the beach, etc. It has been awesome!)
I'll sound like a commercial - but here is a link to Amazon, where I have gotten them. (We have 1 in each car.) http://www.amazon.com/Kalencom-2-in-1-Potette-Plus-Blue/d...
This has saved many a trip places. (I should mention that we tend to do long drives on a fairly regular basis, and it is not always great timing when they decide they HAVE to go.)
We also promote 'going' before we leave the house, which works most of the time, it is just the odd time that we get things scrambled.

The exception to this is when we have stayed in a motel overnight, and our little guy was still having accidents at night. We then had him wear 'magic pants' (pullups) only for the nights we were not home, as I did not want to deal with a wet bed in the middle of the night at a motel. (That said, now if offered, he REALLY resents the idea of wearing them.... To quote "I not baby!" He HAS been staying dry lately. :) )

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

We used pull ups for night time and for really long car trips. The rest of the time we just made frequent trips to any restroom that was available. (Use the bath room before you leave the house. Use the restroom as soon as you get to the mall and again before you leave the mall. Etc) For a few years - I knew where every restroom was in the mall, in super markets, in Home Depot, Chuck E Cheese, etc.

V.S.

answers from Charlotte on

I think it's best to have some backup underwear and diapers just in case. Backup pants, too. If they have an accident you don't want them stuck in wet clothes. Bella gets stickers on the calendar and if she goes long enough without an accident she gets some kind of reward.

I don't think my parents ever used a toilet ring. I just sat close to the front of the toilet and held on so I couldn't fall in. Not a single incident where I fell in. Always went before leaving and when we got there. Went at the gas station or something if necessary.

S.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son potty trained around 2 1/2, and for the first few months, we kept him in a pull up when we left the house. We then moved on to underwear, for short trips like to the store or to the park. And then eventually to longer events, like dinner or over to friend's houses. He worked well with this gradual method, and he just turned 3 and he's wearing underwear to bed now. It's a GREAT feeling when there's no more diapers in the house!

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A.A.

answers from San Diego on

The best piece of advice I got while potty training my son was once the diapers are gone, they are gone. I told her I was going to go to the store and I was afraid of an accident so I'd just put him in a pull up. She said it takes you back 10 steps because they are now in a pull up, which they are comfortable in, and will use it.

I made outtings quick in the first month or if we were out for a longer time I just stopped at the bathroom every hour at least to see if he had to go. I've stopped many times on the side of the road because "mommy I gotta go potty".. When you're first training that means NOW. My son is 4 now and when he has to go in the car he can hold it until we get home - if it's close enough. The travel potty people have mentioned on here from Amazon is great! My son used it a ton and I plan on using it with my daughter when it comes time to potty train her.

Bring extra underwear with you whenever you leave. He'll get it, just be patient.

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C.P.

answers from Provo on

I continued to carry the ring but I always put my child in pull ups. I carried an extra pair of clothes also.

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I did bring the potty ring because my girls were afraid of public toilets. I did not put them in diapers but when traveling on the plane or for a long time in the car we bought special traveling pants. (Pullups)
I also kept a little potty and wipes in the car.

A.G.

answers from Pocatello on

once my daughter was good and potty trained at home I didn't put her back in diapers...ever. I just kept wipes and a pair of pants and undies in my purse. I always made sure she went pee before we left the house and make her go again in a public restroom if we had been out for more than an hour or so. When she went in a public restroom I would just put down one of the plastic seat covers that are in the rest rooms and then help hold her up on the seat while she went. That worked well for me.

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M.!.

answers from Columbus on

We had our kids use the restroom before we left the house and then again as soon as we got to location. Then before we loft location did a restroom break again and again as soon as we got home (or next location).

We did not bring potty rings w us. Just used the seat covers. At times I even took a paper towel w foaming soap and wiped seay (yuck I know - but rather clean it and wash my hands then my babies sitting on it).

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J.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Nope. Our oldest turned 3 the week we potty trained him. We never brought a ring with us. If he had an accident, then we'd leave the park, etc - where ever we were. He quickly got that he had to tell us when he had to go, but we asked him constantly. Our other 2 were potty-trained at 2 years 4 months and never brought a ring with us. In fact, our DD is 2y 10m and she gets on and off the toliet alone at home, but in public, we use the paper seat cover and I lift her on.

We always have an extra outfit and undies for the one who is not 100% accident-proof.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I have and my friends have, a "car potty."
If you go to look on Amazon, input the search words "on the go potty."
It is a LIFE saver!
Can be used in the car, anywhere there is no toilet, if stuck in traffic, if at a park with dirty toilets. A SUPER great thing to have, for kids.

I HIGHLY recommend this.

I did not take my kids out in underwear, UNTIL they were really sure of themselves (and me).... but they understood. It was a stage. They did NOT get confused, at all.

all the best,
Susan

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