Do you have to have a portable potty?

[berri]

Presumably there is not much choice about this - we have bought a big-ish potty which you couldn't take out and about with you, but what do you do if they say they want to go in the car/playground etc etc?

And what do you do with the mess??! Just use wipes and wrap it all up in a nappy bag??

Very new to this as you can see, I just can't see the practicalities....

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

For the early days, I used to line the car seat with a couple of prefold cloth nappies in case of accidents. And just take her to every single public toilet I could find. Never used a portable potty. And actually, she has always been better about telling me when she needs to go when out and about, we only ever had one public accident (in a supermarket) in the potty training arena.

re: mess, I think portable potties come with an absorbent liner thing, like a big maternity sanitary pad, that you can bundle into a plastic bag? But honestly, I wouldn't bother with it personally.

[Esian]

We never used a portable potty either. Like tortoise says, I just made sure she visited the loo wherever we were. Only had one 'incident' where I had to stop the car and she went behind a bush.

[idlevice]

I used to get DS to try to go before going in the car (by sitting him on the potty at home to get dressed/get shoes on) then go as soon as we arrived in a bush or gutter (always tried to park car in a strategic location for this) or nearest public loo.

There is a product called the Piddle Pad for protecting the car seat/stroller seat. Ours never got used. Something else waterproof & appropriately sized would work as well , like a disposable change sheet. At first I would change DS into a pull up before going home in the car as he usually fell asleep.

You can get something called My Carry Potty which locks away the mess somehow until you can empty it, designed by a mum I believe. My DS prefers to poo in the comfort of home so there's only been the odd occasion we've got caught behind a tree for number 2s!

[PirateDinosaur]

It depends. We used one with DS (only actually needed it a handful of times, but it was reassuring to know it was there as an option) but never needed it at all with DD1.

[littleducks]

No

I had a portable toilet seat, which we didnt end up using apart from at MILs. We just used public toilets (and papered the seats ) and have on very rare occassions resorted to behind a bush in a wood/country park, and I trained mine both at 2.

In fact when I was training ds we had to catch buses, take dd to school etc. so I kept an empty mineral water bottle in the buggy just in case, but it was never needed, but boys are easier in that respect!

[EdithWeston]

I bought one, but never actually used it (3DCs).

[LawrieMarlow]

I never used one with DS or DD. Just another thing to forget to take with us

[seeker]

If you wait until they are properly ready before you
"train" you would only need one in an emergency. And the are bushes and drains and gutters for use in emergencies. Oh, and empty Costa cups.

[BikeRunSki]

I just had/have a smallish cheap potty (99p from local Chemist) which I carried around with me for a few weeks, but got fed up and now DS is getting pretty good at "hillwalker wees". As for poos - wrap up in wipes/tissues and nappy bag and bin at soonest chance!

[Notanexcitingname]

I have one that doubles as a child size toilet seat, and found it invaluable as ds1 couldn't poo on an adult seat until he was 4 or so. Only used the potty aspect a couple of times, and tbh mostly out of adult laziness. Once in a carpark, and once in a playpark. I think he could have reached the loo but I don't want to spend the 20 minutes walking there and back when I didn't have to.

[mousymouse]

have never used a potty full stop. went to straight to toilet, with a children's seat at first. when out and about we sent him to evey public loo we could find holding him a bit at first until he got the right "loo-balance".

[hugeleyoutnumbered]

am with mousymouse, everyone has a toilet, not need to worry about disposing of the waste either

[mnistooaddictive]

I still use mine 2 years later. I found we would leave somewhere, walk back to the car and then she would need to go! Also useful on long journeys when you have just gone past the services when they decide they need a wee.

[ragged]

I never used a portable potty; tbh, if they couldn't hold it long enough to find a public convenience or at least a screened bush, I didn't think they were ready at all.

[ragged]

ps: I would bag any solid waste, btw, if we were caught short somewhere like a public park. I didn't ever seem to have that problem with DC3-4, so must be some knack to avoiding that problem.

[mousymouse]

since potty training we had one accident on the 10 min walk home from nursery, and that was because of diarhoea.

[girlywhirly]

I found our potette really useful on holiday in Turkey, where we all had the runs. The toilets were too far away from the pool to get DS (3.2) there in time, so although he was not swimming in the pool he had pull-ups on, and used the potette behind a sun lounger. Oh, and the hotel used to have power cuts and water cuts as well, so we often couldn't flush the toilets. Lovely. And this was only 18 yrs ago.

Also in a restaurant in same resort, where the only loo was outside and engaged, and he couldn't wait, so had to use the potette. I couldn't have coped without it. Sometimes it isn't just about being able to wait until you can get to a toilet.

Another use for them is for travel sickness, or if you have to take a queasy child to the Dr.

[berri]

Thanks for the replies, maybe I'll wait a bit longer until I think he's a bit better at knowing when he's ready, then perhaps I won't need one.

[gettingtogrips]

I can highly recommend a 'Potette plus'. It folds flat for carrying, is lined with disposable bags and it opens out to be a toddler loo seat too so you can use it if you make it to the loo in time.
Not expensive on Amazon. The best gadget we bought.

[sambageeni]

I have potty trained two of my three girls so far, both at 20 months, and haven't purchased a portable potty yet. I haven't felt the need. Just make sure they go to the loo before a journey if need be use a field/bush! Good luck!

[BrawToken]

no. But did you notice the portable potty ad which crops up when you click on this thread?

[BrawToken]

Do all threads have specific targeted ads? Never noticed.

[Zimbah]

We've used one quite a lot with DD1, if we were at the park and she needs the loo it's a 15 min walk home and she couldn't wait that long. I'm not very good at holding her to wee without it getting on her clothes so I found the potty much easier - and particularly while pregnant (for her!). If I'd had a boy I imagine I might have been able to do without it.

[RedHotPokers]

Second the potette plus. DD only used it as a potable potty a couple of times (to be honest it was a bit hard work to use, and then dispose of lining unless absolutely no other choice), however, it came in very useful as a childs toilet seat.

[KoolAidKid]

I had a potette for DD. TBH she only used it a couple of times and it was a waste of money. I find it easier to hold her and let her wee on ground TBH (obviously not in a shop or on the pavement or anything).