Potty training etiquette?

[Redhats]

Currently potty training 2 year old, at the stage where we’re going to head out the house with the carry potty.
I’ve seen people carrying these around with them before but I’m not entirely sure what the etiquette is. Should I be finding a toilet and using the potty in there or is it a case of whipping it out wherever whenever ?

I never ever carried a potty with me. I just held them on the toilet if they were too small for it.

Yeah we never took a potty out, we had a little seat that folded out to sit on toilets so I didn't have to hold them.

If we were in a place with easily accessible toilets, we used those or took the carry potty into the babychange room (for example). If we were in a park, then we used the carry potty behind a bush. But to be honest, we didn't go very far from home for the first few weeks until we were sure DC were more reliable.

Another who never took a potty out with our dc. I guess if you do be discreet and go behind a tree/bush if there are no toilets available.

Don’t be the parent who whips it out in front of all and sundry and let’s their child poo in sight of everyone, I witnessed this and it was so awkward especially with my own kids who have been taught the pants rule.

In contrast to other posters, they are very popular locally to me!

I think in a park or something, it’s fine just be discreet.

Otherwise… I’d find a shop toilet or similar to use it.

I have seen people using them in beer gardens etc and I find that extraordinarily awful.

I have an estate car so keep it in the back of that, plenty of room for a toddler to wee and more private than whipping it out wherever.

Fine to hide in a bush in the park/a country walk. Otherwise use it in a toilet. Good luck

Depends where you are.

Park/outside- behind a tree is fine

Elsewhere- boot of the car or toilet

Don’t be the parent who’s child is shitting in the cheese aisle at Tesco or in the local starbucks cafe!

I saw a woman let her toddler sit on the potty on the pavement outside my house, I didn't really know what to think tbh I mean when they have to go they have to go, but on the street !

I usually took it to the toilet with us to use but if you were somewhere with no toilets around I don’t think many people would mind you finding somewhere quiet for the kid to use it - definitely not in the middle of a shop or cafe though!
They should really only be at the stage of needing a carry potty for a couple of weeks though- I think I used one for a week or two. I also had a little folding toilet seat which was amazing, that used to come everywhere with us until DC were big enough for a normal toilet seat.

If there was a toilet, I used the toilet. I used the travel potty for times when we couldn't get to a toilet, then find somewhere as private as possible. Really I didn't use it much at all as preferable to stick to places that have toilets available but handy to have for emergencies.

Another who never used a carry potty. If there was a toilet, DC would use said toilet. If not, I kept a potty in the car for emergencies but I personally felt that a good part of potty training was to work on appropriate toileting behaviour, as much as possible with a toddler anyway! Definitely do not just plonk your child on the potty anywhere and everywhere! I was at a local toddler group the other day and another mum put her toddler on the potty in the middle of the hall (well slightly off to one side but potayto potahto) while all the other kids were playing around her… there were perfectly good toilets just down the hall ffs

PLEASE don't do what a mum in front of me at the till in Tesco did once and pop it and the kid under my shopping on the conveyer belt.

Thankfully it was just a wee

I wouldn't mind, but they have toilets!

We've just potted trained DD who is not quite 2.5 and tbh I religiously take the travel potty everywhere because I'm a nervous person lol (she's nearly figured out toilets so we'll probably be swapping to a portable toddler toilet seat soon I expect)

I think it depends where/when you are getting it out though? DD is more reliable now so we go to the toilets to use it, but when she was first starting out we would take it out if the location wasn't too offensive. Like in the park behind a tree/bush for eg. I used the reasoning "Would people think it was really weird if I changed her nappy here" and if the answer was no, then I think it's OK 🤷‍♀️

We did once have a dog run up to DD when she was using her travel potty in the park, which DD thought was absolutely hilarious 😂

If you have to carry a potty with you wherever you go then the child isn’t physically ready for potty training as can’t hold it in until you get to a toilet!

I would say similar etiquette to you having a wee not in a toilet - in woods, a secluded large park, maybe on a quiet beach with no facilities, you would wee behind a tree or wall. Here it's fine for her to use the potty. In the middle of somewhere with dedicated toilet facilities, a shopping centre, supermarket, café etc, then no you take her and the potty to the toilets. Note that often a travel potty will double as a small seat that will do on the loo, so in a public toilet you can put it on the toilet to make the hole smaller.

Doesn't that depend how long it takes to get to the toilet. Ideally with a toddler you stick to plaes near toilets but walking to a local play park, you are less likely to be near a toilet. So how long do you reckon a toddler should be able to hold on before you take them out, 5 minutes, 10, 20 ...

No it's not OK. You use the toilet with them. Take a bag big enough to keep potty in and use inside said toilets if you must but otherwise nobody.

The exception we made was at the zoo where it is a long walk around to the toilets and we kept it in bottom of pram for them to use discreetly.

Whipping it out in Tesco or outside someone's house is not acceptable

imo toilet training isn’t just those first few days when you have about 2 minutes or less to get to a loo/potty.
It’s longer term, and getting them used to (on occasion) having to be aware of sensible times to use the loo and planning ahead when out and about.
like many other pp, we didn’t use a potty for long and only had it in case of long traffic jams/delays or similar.

if you spend weeks/months carting a potty about, or allowing the child to wee ad hoc, child never learns to plan or wait. I observed this more with friends who had boys presumably as it was easier to let them wee anywhere. This imo prolongs toilet training and isn’t helpful when there are occasions the child would ideally wait.

Why on earth would you want to teach your child that it’s okay to take their underwear off and go to the toilet in public? Or let/make strangers watch them?

Or just hold them by the back of their legs and hang them over the drains like my parents did in the 80s

We carried the potty when needed!

But never just whipped it out in public, used in a park discreetly.

But mostly was used in the car, I would put it in the boot and he’d sit on potty with me standing in front blocking from view.

I do not understand why someone would do it in a place like supermarket that has toilets :-S