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Finish Training on the Go
Top Tips for Mastering Potty Training Outside the Home
By Kelly Burgess
Sarah Kuehn of Enid, Okla., plans to approach potty training a little differently with her second child. Overall, things went pretty smoothly when she went through the potty training process with her first daughter, Katrina, until a bad experience with a high-tech toilet.
"It was one of those automatic flushing toilets, and it flushed when she was on it," says Kuehn. "Katrina was terrified and for a long time wouldn't go to the bathroom when we were out. I had to make sure she went beforehand, make sure the trips were short and just drop everything and come home if she had to go."
Thankfully, Katrina got over her fear, but Kuehn will be sure to warn her 17-month-old in advance when it's her turn for potty training!
When you're in the midst of working on potty training with your child, you can't let it tie you to your home. Parents with toddlers and preschoolers still shop, go out to dinner, go over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house and take planes, trains and automobiles to get there. And their kids eventually have to learn to go potty along the way.
According to potty training expert and mom Vicki Lansky, the best way to make using the potty on the go a little easier is to invest in a portable, fold-up potty seat that fits over an adult-sized toilet. Inexpensive and made of plastic, these seats fold up small enough to fit into a purse or other bag. They're also easy to wipe down and can be used anywhere.