Potty etiquette whilst out and about

[Pottyetiquette26]

We are currently 2 weeks into potty training my 2.5 y/o. What is the ‘potty etiquette’ when training out and about? Obviously ideally we would be close to a toilet even if using the carry potty. But what about when we’re out at places like the park and he can’t hold it for long? We are going to Centreparcs soon and i’m worried we’ll be on a walk and be in this situation. Probably overthinking it but don’t want to be judged for doing it wrong!

We had a potette which I'd highly recommend. It's a foldable potty and you attach a bag to it so they go to the toilet in the bag and you can tie it up and take it away. We also have done many "bush wees" across our children (both boy and girls) if we're in a quiet area. I see no problem with this but I know some consider it scummy!

Using a carry potty when you've a few steps from a toilet is grim, more so when you tip out the contents onto the grass. As I saw last week....

A walk at centerparks would be in the woods wouldn't it? I'd just go for a wild wee beind a tree in that instance.

It’s fine to use a carry potty when out and about and empty it into a toilet when you find one. If indoors I’d either go outside to use it or find some toilets and use it there.

Go somewhere discrete, and empty it into a drain / a far-away bush etc.

Don’t let your kid have a poo in the middle of the path right in front of the Pygmy hippos, as I saw in Whipsnade recently.

My sister was in a cafe and the parents put the potty on the floor for the kid!

I wouldn't use a potty indoors anywhere other than in a toilet. Outdoors I don't think it's an issue but I'd try and be discreet and as far away from others as practical.

I dislike the whole travel potty thing and never used one.
Either you're somewhere remote, in which case a quick wee behind a tree is fine.
Or you're somewhere like a cafe, library, supermarket (all places I've seen people use travel potties) in which case, go to the toilet.

At an outdoor shopping centre last week there was a child using one of these right outside the doors to a clothing shop: www.drcomparison.com/gb/products/byetoo-portable-baby-child-potty-31ad7177-20dc-4640-a97f-72e7a1baf8a5
The toilets are at the other end of the centre so I assume too far for him to get to.

Personally I just took any opportunity to go to the toilet in shops/cafes etc when we were out and about, even if the child said they didn’t need it. It’s good to get in the habit of ‘trying’ just in case. I have enough to carry about with me and didn’t want to be carrying a potty.
If on a woodland walk we’d do a nature wee behind a tree.

We had a travel potty but rarely used it. Outside and fairly easy to hide, you could empty the potty in a bush, but then you could just wee in a bush which was like 1000 times less of a faff! Inside you couldn't really use the potty anywhere you wouldn't use the loo so it became easier just to lift him onto the loo!

There shouldn’t really be any need to use a travel potty unless you’re in an actual journey without access to toilets. Use the toilet before starting any new activity and every time you get to a cafe or wherever you’re going, find and use the toilet. Same before you leave anywhere.
If you really get stuck on a long walk, then make sure you protect your child’s dignity by ensuring that they can’t be seen by anyone else.

Never indoors anywhere except in the toilet, should the child not have made that graduation to the big toilet yet (and if they haven’t I’d get on it ASAP because it avoids so much faff). Outside with no toilets within reach then fine, when needs must, but you can normally mitigate it pretty well by factoring a loo trip in every 1.5-2 hours. I potty trained 2 kids and only ever had a foldable loo seat, and not a portable potty, and it’s not something I felt I needed or missed. If you’re in the middle of a forest or something they can just wee behind a tree. I wouldn’t be offended by a little kid using a potty or anything though so long as it was outside and not in a picnic area.

I'll get flamed on this thread I fear, but I had a My Carry Potty that had the option to click shut and deal with it at home, and we used it everywhere. When they're really little and learning to recognise the need to go, there isn't always time to find/queue for a toilet. My daughter also had a little medical complication that made connecting the urge to the action a bit more difficult so we often really needed to act immediately.
There were so many times we had a quick travel potty moment just next to/outside an occupied toilet in café/bookshop/pub wherever for an urgent wee. Once on a trip to London we had to manage on a speeding train when a bloke occupied the one functioning toilet for over 15 minutes! Quite few queuing adults looked very envious of my daughter's Carry Potty 🤣
We are also big fans of a "bush wee" as they call them on Bluey. If we're at the park or walking in the woods, we'll happily go off trail for moment to do what we need to do.
My rationale is that my daughter is a toddler. One way or another she is going to have to relieve herself and I'm not going to make her upset and/or have a pile of soggy clothes just because someone else might feel aggrieved at a little kid having a wee in their potty in a secluded corner.
With poo she was pretty much always able to hold it that bit longer to make sure we were either using the toilet properly, or if we were on a woodland walk, we could take the travel potty and do what we needed to do well out of sight of the footpath and I would just sort the potty out later.

It's such a brief time and all kids are different. As long as they aren't pooping in the aisle of a B&Q on the regular, don't let anyone make you feel bad for getting them through one of the most socially awkward phases of toddlerdom with as much grace as you can ❤️

We never bought a potty. Pull ups + toilet. So easy.

you take them to the toilet before you go anywhere.

you take them to the toilet every time you pass one.

bushes for emergencies

you carry a change of clothes if not reliable.

please don’t subject other people to potty use in public - so grim 🤢

wat about poos?

As long as you get out the way of everyone (and let's face in, in busy places there are toilets you can use) and don't leave mess, there should be no issue. Everyone has to learn and being cooped up inside while they do isn't easy. We've all been through it!

Agree, I don’t understand the point of them

wat about them?

Everyone just saying do a wild wee is all well and good but what about when they need a 💩? Hoping you’re not just leaving human faeces in the woods?

People can be very judgemental about using a potty when out and about. We used one at Centreparcs and people started freaking out. The lifeguard even asked us to leave the pool.

Used a My Carry Potty and while obviously we didn’t get it out in the middle of Sainsbury’s or a restaurant I had no issue using it on a walk or behind the car.

I can honestly say, in 16 years of parenting and many years of childminding, I've never had a child need an emergency poo.

I think that parents go a bit la la when ' Potty Training'.....
I recommend ' a crash course' in Potty Training during ONE DAY then FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!!!!......I Get het up when I see parents producing ' a potty' magically ( when out and about !!!!!)! Are you serious!!!!!!!!!!! Woukd you carry a Toilet Pan in your bag if you went out somewhere!??????? Be REAL !!!! KIDS aren't idiots! What you need to do is STAY HOME ONE DAY and do intense course in potty Training. First buy a POTTY when the baby's born and keep it visible in the house. Then buy a Dolly and potty toy. When it's baby's 2 birthday of just after : spend ONE day at home with no distractions. Use the doll ON THE TOY POTTY first.
Put the child in easy to pull up underclothes.

Encourage child and show what doll does on toy potty.
Stay indoors all day with focus on the child and potty.
Every time child performs on potty; give favourite treat.and lots of praise.
It starts to be a great game !!!!!!
They enjoy getting the treat.
Give lots of their favourite drink to cause lots of trips to potty.
Keep giving treat when performing.
After the first day of training ensure that you put on easy managing underclothes when at home and continue giving the treats after using potty for about a week, after a few days you can ditch the treats and keep on with the praise only.
After the first day of traing there is no need for PORTa - POTTY outside. Just stick A NAPPY ON. ( Don't worry, this will not CONFUSE the child) when you're going out you do not want to worry about little accidents. Putting on nappy outside and when travelling removes all the stress from potty training. Obviously as the child becomes more confident then you can ditch the outside nappy. I have successfully trained FIVE baby's like this. All successfully.

@Voneska for some children it takes a fair bit longer than a few days and there are also practicalities like school runs, dogs that need walking, general life.