Toilet training and travelling can be an experience but if you are well prepared and well equipped it is possible. Some kids only take a few days to toilet train, while others take a few months, so you will need to learn how to manage a child who is being toilet trained when out and about and travelling.

Here are a few toilet training tips and essential products that will help you when you are out and travelling with a toilet training child.

1. Preparation is the key - try to relax and remain calm.
2. Try and get your child to go to the toilet before you leave as this might ensure the car trip is dry.
3. If on a long car trip stop regularly so they can go to the toilet, (and run around!), the travel potty below is great for long car trips as you then do not have the stress about trying to find a public toilet or using ones that are full of germs!
4. At the shops, park, beach or wherever you are always find out where your closest toilet is, so last minute ‘I need to do a wee’ screams are less stressful.
5. When you arrive at your destination, take your child to the toilet. Then ask your child regularly if they need to do go. A good idea is to take them again before you sit down for lunch or dinner, otherwise the minute your food and drinks arrive will be the time you will need to rush off!
6. As tempting as it might be try not to put your child back in nappies when travelling as this might confuse them. I found with my kids it is better to go cold turkey and take kids out of nappies at home and when out and travelling at the same time. That way there is no mixed messages, they learn that they go to the toilet no matter where they are (and not in their nappy sometimes), and I found it makes toilet training quicker.

Things to take with you when toilet training

1. 3 or 4 changes of clothes, including their very special undies, shirts, shorts and a few nappy sacks or plastic bags for dirty clothes
2. A treat to reward if they do a wee or poo in the toilet (eg a sticker or chocolate)
3. A Travel Potty - this is the most essential item to keep in the car at all times (even after they are fully trained). The child does a wee or poo straight into the plastic potty bag, which then easily comes off to throw away. The potty comes in its own carry bag and it collapses down to a great travel size. It can fit in your handbag or under the pram.It is fantastic if you are going to the park where there are no toilets and also on a long car/walking trip. You can park the car and put it next to the car. A tip is to set up a clean potty refill bag in the potty after each use so you are ready to go for the next quick emergency. The latest model in the travel potty can also be used as a training seat on a regular toilet, so perfect to use at home or in public toilets.
4. Flushable wipes are very handy if there is no toilet paper in public toilets.
5. In the car, if you are concerned about your child wetting, you can use a seat protector which will keep your car seat dry and saves you having to strip the whole car seat if they have an accident.
6. Take a Brolly Sheet – this is a waterproof sheet protector that goes over the sheet. This is great to take on holidays so you don’t have to worry about the hotel/resort bed getting wet. The Brolly Sheet is useful at home as well.
7. Always ensure you have some anti-bacterial wipes for wiping up accidents or wiping down toilet seats, and an anti-bacterial spray.
8. Finally, as hard as it is try not to get upset if there are accidents when you are out, your child is learning something very new. Praise effort and success and ignore accidents as it could crush their confidence and set back their toilet training progress.

Donna Fingland is the co-founder of Haggus and Stookles and the Kids Travel Blog, an online store and blog created to provide products, tips and reviews for parents to help make life easier when they are out and about and travelling with babies and children.