Potty Training and Travel

Excerpt taken from American Academy of Pediatrics: Guide to Toilet Training

A change in environment caused by a vacation or other travel is another common cause of bathroom-related problems among children. Travel plans that call for a break in a child's routine, or that take the child away from a familiar bathroom or potty, may create anxiety that then leads to accidents or constipation. While most such responses are only temporary and disappear once the child is used to the new routine or has returned to the old one, some lead to negative behavior, such as withholding stool or delaying urination that takes weeks or months to correct.

A change in environment caused by a vacation or other travel is another common cause of bathroom-related problems among children.

Travel plans that call for a break in a child's routine, or that take the child away from a familiar bathroom or potty, may create anxiety that then leads to accidents or constipation.

While most such responses are only temporary and disappear once the child is used to the new routine or has returned to the old one, some lead to negative behavior, such as withholding stool or delaying urination that takes weeks or months to correct.

To avoid such complications, it's best to keep your child's bathroom experience while traveling as similar as possible to the routine he follows at home.

If you are traveling by car, consider taking your child's potty along, or you could take a travel potty .

When flying, take your child to the bathroom at the airport before you board the plane, and bring along familiar stuffed animals or other favorite objects that may make public or hotel bathrooms less frightening.

Plan to accompany your child to the bathroom and expect to prompt him toward bathroom use more than if you were not traveling.