WWYD - children needing the toilet during car journeys

[BetLynchStyle]

Driving on the motorway earlier a car had stopped on the hard shoulder and we saw a man lifting a toddler onto a portable potty next to the car.

I commented to DH that I wouldn’t stop on a hard shoulder but he seemed unphased and said ‘well if they need to go’ and didn’t see why I thought it was dangerous.

I’d rather drive on to a services and risk dc not holding it. WWYD?

I'm with you - hard shoulders are for emergencies ( not including toilet based ones!).

That is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. The hard shoulder is for emergencies and the toddler needing the potty is not one.

Driving on is the only option.

No way I’d stop on the hard shoulder for anything other than a car breakdown or a child choking (or something similarly life threatening).

Our car is big enough to put a potty flat in the footwell thankfully, so wouldn’t let a kid get out of the car on hard shoulder. But I probably wouldn’t stop on hard shoulder anyway.
Soon after potty training DS1, we were on the M25 where there is no hard shoulder and there wasn’t an exit for ages!!! By the time the exit came round DS was in hysterics having wet himself and I was going in the wrong direction towards London 😄 nightmare.
DS1 has also weed in a bottle, still strapped into his car seat before! Handy!
But yes it is a pain.

Pretty sure you can be fined for this or something. There’s a radio campaign running now about misuse of the hard shoulder and they include that.

The stupid people that do things like this are also too stupid to take the kid for a pee before they leave or to stop when the kid first mentions needing.

It’s illegal, stupid and very dangerous

thank god it’s not just me!

Motorway nope but dual carriageway would use layby etc.

I used to carry an empty water bottle for my boys too pee in if they were desperate!

There are adults who think it's ok to pee in the bushes by the hard shoulder

I wouldn't stop on the hard shoulder, that's so dangerous. With a child young enough to still be using a potty, I'd put them in a pull up for a long motorway journey. You never know when you might hit a traffic jam and be unable to turn off to look for a toilet.

I once had to stop on the hard shoulder as I had a flat. I have never been so scared in all my life. If the child is still that unpredictable put them in a pull up for the car journey.

Please dont stop on a hard shoulder. Google your life expectancy if you do that.

No I wouldn’t use the hard shoulder for this. It’s really dangerous / not worth the risk.

I’m obviously very lucky as touch wood! have never had a dc so desperate that they couldn’t wait a bit. I think our ‘travel wee’ habit probably helps with this ie dc must always go to the loo before going on a car journey. A friend’s ds forever seems to be peeing in bottles in the car though.

Not hard shoulder, but would pull over on any other road.

DH has this irritating habit of asking the kids about 5 minutes into a journey if they are OK, anyone hungry, need a wee, feel a bit ill, let us know if you feel sick...

Invariably someone starts feeling sick, needs the toilet, etc. Takes forever to get anywhere.

I stick them in the car, drive off, any whinging is countered with loud radio, and usually we get to our destination two hours later with no or 1 stops.

I would not stop on the hard shoulder for this. Exit next junction or services.