How do I pee in this situation?

[Moonbabysmum]

I'm going on my first 'long' drive solo with my children (2.5 and 4.5) soon. I'm a relatively new driver, and its a 3.5-4hr drive, setting off early evening. The hope is that the children fall asleep on the way (amd stay asleep).

Obviously I'm going to need to stop off for at least 1 break, and will inevitably need to wee at some stage. I can't leave them in the car whilst I go to the services, and I really don't want to wake 2 dozy children/carry two kids in.

How do I pee?

Am I going to literally have to wee in a potty in a deserted part of the car park? 😳🤢

Am i missing a trick here?

Can you not hold it for that amount of time?

Otherwise you have to take someone with you to watch the kids while you pop to the bathroom

Or

You have to bite the bullet and wake the kids up that's if they are asleep

Might be nice to stop off and you can all have some fresh air for a few mins

Will they not need to pee too?

I’d probably manage that drive without needing the loo but have stopped kids at a McDonalds or coffee shop.

I think just go before you set off and don’t drink gallons in advance. 3.5-4 hours is not that long.

I regularly do that length drive with 2 children and now have a third, same age gap between the older two. Usually I don't need to pee, it's not that long 🤷‍♀️ When I have needed to yes I bring both with me and they pee too, or if they need to and I need to or think I might later I go then too, never usually an issue though.

No drinking no peeing.

Ankle length skirt.

A she-wee?

Set off earlier so you have to stop for something to eat, pee then, and then hope the kids fall asleep for the second half?

I have never not been able to hold on for 4 hours. So it has never been an issue for me as a single parent of two little ones. However your children may need to stop for toileting or nappy changes anyway so you could go then.

When mine were those ages we often did early evening trips as you are. I'd drive for an hour or so about 4pm, stop for an hour 5-6ish for dinner and change in to pjs, then carry on for the remainder and they would usually fall asleep. This way we missed the worst of the rush hour too.

I'd just try your best to do the drive in one. Toilet before you set off, limit drinking throughout the day and nothing for an hour before setting off.

I would avoid drinking anything, but also wear a skirt and take a Travel Jane just in case. After breaking down at the side of the road and spending 2 hours desperate for a wee I always have one in the car now

On a regular day, sure I can usually hold it that long. But knowing that it's tricky to go is just going to make me want to isnt it? 😂

I cant take someone with me, and no, they are unlikely to need to go. The older one doesnt pee once asleep (we are setting off at bedtime) and the younger one will need taking to the loo at about midnight, when we get there, but not before.

Obviously if they dont sleep well then we'll all go in, have a stroll around, pate night snack and pee etc, but if it goes well, they'll be out for the count.

I mean, we'll have a potty with us in the car anyway, and I post all shame when having kids a few years ago. I can probably manage it in the passenger seat with the lights off, but irs bot ideal obviously.

If you can't make it the full four hours have a break but earlier than half way so the kids are mote likely to be awake, maybe after an hour then you only have to hold on for 3 hours.

Just to add, I'd love to set off as soon as school finishes (then break half way for dinner), but we need to stay for a non-missable rehearsal after school, so wont be setting off till half 6/7. Its the final rehearsal for a show shes in, so cant really miss it.

Try to hold it, but long skirt and a she wee for emergency sounds like the plan.

I don't quite understand Travel Janes and she-wees. You have to park somewhere and have a bit of privacy to use them, so how is it an improvement on darting behind a bush?

No way I can do that long a journey without a pee. I do envy other people's bladders! I always reduce fluid intake when driving but still can't manage that far. I'd just wake them up to be honest. They'll likely fall asleep again as soon as you start driving.

Take a potty/bucket with you. Is the footwell of the car big enough to put the potty in and you to use the potty like that? Otherwise, find a deserted lay-by/services car park, open front and back car doors and put the potty between them and go there. I’ve done this. I have also sat in the car and weed into a nappy when absolutely desperate and there was no where to go to the loo. my best advice is not to drink prior to setting off and only sips while driving.

Years ago when pregnant with 2nd child was sat in car while exh and son where picking strawberry's I needed to pee we were not anywhere near a loo so got one of sons nappies and peed into that it worked

I would have to wee in that time! Also if I don’t drink water whilst I drive I get sleepy. A lot of petrol stations at service stations have toilets. They are grim but that is what I use.

I regularly do a 4.5hr drive setting off at DD's bedtime. She goes to sleep so there's no worry about her needing a wee.

I drink tactically to reduce the risk of me needing a wee during the journey. I drink plenty the day before and the morning of the journey. Then I have a tactical cup of tea for the caffeine 2 hours before we set off (must be this long to allow to it go through before we leave!) and I only drink on the journey once we're 1.5hrs from the destination.

I've shortened the amount of the journey that is on motorway at either end so that the first hour and last hour are on small A roads. This helps break up the monotony of a long motorway journey but also means that if I absolutely had to I could pull over and do a wee in a lay-by. I've only had to do this once and it's because we broke down making the journey much longer than usual!

I have driven to Portsmouth and got the late IOW ferry with DDs when they were little a few times on my own and with DH. The drive to Portsmouth is 1.5 hours, allow two just in case and it would be definitely at least two hours by the time we had to get out of the car on the ferry. So I'd be waking them up after two hours for a 45 minute ferry trip, for which they'd either be a bit dozy or Very Excited about being allowed to be up late.

So what I'd do is have one stop after two hours and take them into the services with me.

I do that journey to my parents. We only do the past bedtime start if we are both going so we can take turns running I'm to a service station to pee. If I'm solo we do early start (5am) to factor in a proper break. Is going early the next day an option?

If you need and they're asleep I'd leave them in the car for that 5 minutes that it takes you to stop at the service.

I used one of these when stuck in an horrendous traffic jam last year

https://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/p/9421258/traveljohn-resealable-disposable-urinal---pack-of-3---tj-671504668302.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAxJSPBhAoEiwAeOfPwtlEldESCfNQCCjjFJZvype4k1CzE82IpVPLKRWzSUroJm9DOi6tRoC-CIQAvDBwE#

Long skirt and travel John. Life is too short for "just don't eat, drink or pee for four hours!"

I used a fold up travel potty and went in a lay-by when mine were little.
I couldn't not drink or not stop on that length of journey.