It’s potty time!  Currently, I’m in the middle of toilet training my three-year-old.  He decided he was ready for underwear in the middle of a two-month-period where we’d have four transatlantic flights, several long weekend trips, and Mama’s annual holiday meltdown.  He’s got great timing.

So now not only are we potty training, but we’re often doing it on the road.  Sure, I could have canceled some things and sharpened our skills in the safety of home, but where’s the fun in that?

The truth is, the rules of potty training are fairly universal.  With just a few simple guidelines, your child can stay dry whether you are hanging out at home or riding the ICEbahn to Switzerland.

1.  Watch for cues.
Your child is out of his comfort zone, so much responsibility falls on your intuition to recognize the need before an accident.  Before leaving on your trip, take note of what your child does before he tells you he has to go potty.  Luckily, Chet likes to grab his penis and do a little dance when he has to urinate.  I never thought I’d be grateful that my child was so comfortable grabbing his boy parts in public but, hey, it helped make sure he didn’t spend our entire trip in soggy drawers.

2.  Scope out the place, James Bond-style.
We learned firsthand that the biggest risk of accidents was taking too much time to find a potty when maximum pressure has been reached.  But it was a lesson quickly learned.  Now, as soon as we walk into a new attraction or museum, we find the restroom and make a quick visit (usually arguing about whether said visit is necessary).  Given the completely wacked lay-out of some older European attractions, he usually has to go by the time we do find a toilet.  A little pre-planning can prevent detours when your kid has to go pee-pee in the potty NOW NOW NOW, MOMMY, NOW.

3.  Forget the potty ring and other accessories.
Many moms suggested that I bring our potty ring with us on our trip.  It remained mostly unused in our hotel.  Why?  Mainly because you never know what kind of toilet you will encounter.  France is famous for its seatless public potties.  Germany’s bathrooms often have weird-shaped self-cleaning seats.  And even outside of Asia, the squattie pottie is always a possibility.  But the real reason we left the ring behind was that I wasn’t sure how to inconspicuously carry it with us on day trips.

4.  Sometimes there’s just not enough hand sanitizer.
Seriously, there’s not.  You will encounter toilets and messes that will burn in your brain forever.  It’s probably not good for your kid’s potty-training psyche to play Lady MacBeth at the sink after each bowel movement so having some Purell within reach is a good thing.  I also suggest bringing an extra bottle in your big suitcase to refill your take-along container.  But if no sanitizer is available?  In my experience, a big glass of wine can help make you feel a little cleaner.  Two big glasses may even ready you to put on your happy face and do the potty training thing again the next day.

5.  It’s okay to resort to pull-ups when needed.
The Captain announces that you are going to hit turbulence and everyone needs to stay in their seats for the next two hours.  The public restroom is closed for cleaning.  You have 17 minutes, and 17 minutes exactly, to make your connection and your kid just finished a cup of juice.  Much as you want to reinforce the importance of keeping dry, sometimes a pull-up can help everyone have a better experience (and make sure your child isn’t stuck with a wet seat).  The trick is how you, as the parent and mess cleaner, think about it.  When traveling, treat pull-ups not as diapers but rather slightly more absorbent underwear.  As long as you act just as you would if your child was in underwear, chances are he’ll stay dry.

6.  Accidents happen.
They do.  And believe it or not, even when they happen in the middle of a museum or store, people are pretty gracious about it.  Make sure to bring at least two extra changes of clothes and some gallon-sized Ziploc bags with you on your explorations.  It can make for a quick, easy change wherever you are that helps your child realize that potty training on the road is a lot like potty training at home.

Potty Training on the Go from TravelSavvyMom on Vimeo.

Potty training while traveling is an adventure in its own right.  But with a little planning, a little patience and at least 8 pairs of your kid’s favorite Lightning McQueen underpants, it’s doable.

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