Potty Training. When your DC gets caught in the street with no toilets in sight.

[iLikeDots]

My DD is just over 3. She is now dry (atm !!) during the day and either goes on her potty or on the toilet with her toliet booster seat thingy.

Now, she has been caught short a number of times when we couldn't find a toliet when out.So much so, when we get back home she can't reach the potty in time and this really upsets her. I tried the normal things like making sure she has gone to the loo before we go out etc. I know that alot of people let their Dc's go in a secluded area on the street.

My mum did this with me and my ds and db when we were potty training and I have no problem with it when i see others doing it. But my DD is very fussy about being clean and refused point blank. I have just bought a fold up travel potty where you insert a little padded bag to try and solve the situation. Any advice - i hope i haven't wasted my money !

i use one of the fold up potties several times a day when out as toilets are never close enough!
the only problem is how expensive the refills are as i get through a pack a week! well worth it tho

TheNatty, put a cheap sanitary pad inside a nappy bag and use that to line the potty. Saves a fortune.

Well, I think the folding potties are great, DS used one happily, they are especially good for an urgent poo situation. (Remember to take tissues/loo tissue/wipes with you) You could explain to DD that either she uses it or risks wetting herself, but as you say she likes to be clean, so I think the potty will win. Has she seen it yet, what was her reaction, maybe she could use it once at home to find out what it's like? A lot of children like the novelty value of a new thing. Even if she refuses it point blank, a nearly-new travel potty will have a good second hand value.

Is it just the cleanliness issue, or does she not like the idea of being exposed and performing in front of people in public? I seem to remember my mum would hold me out over drains in the busy market when I was small, it can actually be quite inhibiting. Her arms would start to ache holding me because I couldn't relax enough to wee.
I used to use the pushchair as a screen for DS, while he sat on the travel potty, or use it behind the car, etc.

girlwhirly... my mum used to hold me over drains too ! In really busy areas - i also found it hard to go as i didn't want people to see my bum !

For dd, i think it's both cleanliness and in public as when she does a poo in her potty at home she insists on having the door shut.

She has tried out the travel potty at home and liked it (she calls it her speacial potty) but we are yet to try it out outdoors.

Furrycat, good advice about the sanitry pad idea, as i saw that the proper potty liners are about £4 for 10. I also found that a small swing bin liner fits well too.

In desperation, a few sheets of kitchen roll folded into a pad are cheap and absorbent for your bin bag potty liners. Good if the child does small but frequent wees, you could hang on to the bag for two or three, adding extra kitchen roll each time before disposing. It has been known for cat litter to be used in the potty liner, but I've never done that!!

you know that is a brilliant idea!
would prob have to swing bin liners because i have the new one that doubles as a toilet seat, and its alot bigger. (plus side its much more stable)

sometimes MN is so useful!

Of course, if you wanted to be really green, you could use cheap microfibre cloths for absorbency, and wash them back home. Cloth nappy users use booster pads or inserts too, and some have gone as far as having reusable liners made from the same stuff used for nappy waterproof wraps and wet nappy bags. But you might be able to get away with buying a ready-made wet nappy bag from a cloth nappy seller.