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Finish Potty Training During the Holidays
5 Steps to Entering the New Year as a Big Kid®
By Melinda Copp
When you're at a holiday party with a room full of strange adults, your child may feel uncomfortable letting you know that he has to go. But you can prepare for this by talking about using the potty before you arrive.
"A child will pee in their pants before piping up in front of a bunch of adults," says Teri Crane, who teaches potty training "boot camps" to parents, educators and childcare providers. "Act like a team and say to them, 'If I have to go to the potty, I'll tell you and if you have to go, you tell me so we can go together.'" When you present potty breaks as a team effort, your child will feel more comfortable in the crowd.
If your child gets nervous about using strange toilets, don't push it. You want your child to feel as comfortable as possible, especially when you're staying with friends or family in a place that's unfamiliar to your child.
"Bring something they're comfortable with, whether it's the small potty or the seat that goes on top of the toilet," Jackson says. If your child prefers using a particular potty or a particular seat, take it with you when you travel to ease their anxiety about going in a strange place. This will help your child feel comfortable in strange places.
Another way to approach potty time when you're traveling is to present it as an exciting adventure.
"My twins thought that the new toilet at Grandma and Grandfather's house was exciting – they had a smaller bathroom than ours at home and a really fun soap dispenser," Shey-Osborne says. "Once we checked all of that out and I explained to my relatives that we are potty training, my twins did OK."