Potty Training on the Go — What to Pack for Roadtrips and Outings
One of the most upvoted parenting posts of the season recently was a public-service rant titled "Everyone, go put a potty in your car." Hundreds of replies followed, each one a horror story about a parking lot, a long highway stretch, or the side of the Coquihalla. The advice was simple: by the time you need a potty on the go, it is too late to buy one.
Potty training is messy at home. Outside the house, it is a different beast. Baby Nook is in New Westminster, so we know exactly which corners of the Lower Mainland have nowhere to stop. Here is what to actually pack so the trip — and the upholstery — survives.
The Travel Potty: Your Most Important Purchase
A travel potty lives in the trunk and gets used at least once a week during potty training. The best ones fold flat, take disposable liners, and have a non-slip base. Some convert into a toilet seat reducer for public bathrooms that lack one. The Potette Plus is the classic and for good reason — it is the one we hear about over and over from local parents.
💡 The first six months of potty training are 80% logistics: Knowing where the nearest washroom is, having the gear in the trunk, and pulling over the second your toddler says "I need to go." Speed matters more than technique in this phase.
The Travel Potty Kit
Here is what we recommend keeping permanently in the car during the training phase:
1. The Travel Potty Itself
Folding, with disposable liners. Keep a roll of liners in the bag.
2. Two or Three Wet Bags
Wet bags are zippered, waterproof, washable bags that hold dirty clothes, used liners, or wet swimsuits without leaking. Every potty-training parent we know in New Westminster carries at least two at all times. They are not glamorous. They are the most-used item in the bag.
3. A Spare Outfit (Underwear, Pants, Socks)
Roll one full change of clothes into a small bag and leave it in the trunk. Include socks — feet get wet faster than you think. When the inevitable happens, you change in the parking lot, throw the wet stuff in a wet bag, and move on with your day.
4. Disposable Changing Pads
Three or four flat disposable pads in the glove compartment. They cover seats, public benches, and any surface you would rather not have a half-dressed toddler sit on bare.
5. Pull-Ups or Training Pants for Long Drives
Even kids who are dry at home regress on a four-hour drive to Kelowna. Pull-ups are not "going backward" — they are a tool for specific situations. Keep a small stash for road trips, flights, and naps in the car.
6. Wipes — More Than You Think
Not just for the toddler. For seats, steering wheels, hands, the side of the car. Buy in bulk.
The Outing Itself
Before You Leave
Try the potty. Even if they say no. Especially if they say no. Two minutes of resistance at home beats forty-five minutes of "I need to go" on the bridge.
On the Drive
Stop every 60 to 90 minutes. Not when the toddler says they need to go — by then it is too late. Build a routine of "we stop at every rest area, we try, we move on."
At the Destination
The first thing you do after parking is find the washroom. Before the playground, before the ice cream, before the photo. Knowing where the bathroom is removes 90 percent of the anxiety from the outing.
💡 The "everyone tries" rule: Every time you stop at a washroom, everyone in the family tries — even the adults. It removes the shame from "I need to go again" and turns it into a normal family ritual.
Accidents Will Happen — Here Is the Plan
Accidents are not failures. They are part of the training. When one happens, the system is simple: wet bag for the dirty clothes, wipes for the toddler and the seat, fresh clothes from the trunk stash, and back on the road. No big reaction, no lecture. The calmer you are, the faster the kid moves through this phase.
If your car seat gets soaked, most modern car seats have removable covers that machine wash. Check the manual, do not skip this step — wet padding stays wet for a long time and starts to smell within a day.
The Baby Nook Take
Potty training is a temporary mess that ends. The families who get through it fastest are the ones who plan for the failures, not the successes. A car kit, a routine, and a calm response to accidents shortens the whole process by weeks. We have all been there. The trunk kit works.
Potty Training Essentials at Baby Nook
Drop into Baby Nook at the River Market in New Westminster for travel potties, wet bags, and the rest of the on-the-go kit. We are happy to help you put together a car bag.
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