Potty Training & a 5 Hr Plane Flight.

You got great advise, I just wanted to add something to the one that mentioned the loud noise of the flushing. I did what most advised, but I also warned my sons that the toilet flushes really loud on the plane before we even got on the plane. When we got on the plane, I took them to the bathroom before it got crowded and had them stand at the door and went in and flushed the toilet. I did this so they knew what to expect if we had to use the toilet and so they won't get startled if we had to come back later and really use it. When I did this with my older one when he was almost 3, he decided he didn't want to use the bathroom the whole flight and was able to hold it. When I did this with the younger one, it didn't face him. He was fine with having to use the bathroom in the middle of the flight.

take her to the bathroom alot.... It will be fun for her to us the big girl potty on the airplane! It worked well for my daughter and I back then. goodluck

hi L.,
i don't have any potty training advice but reading your "a little about me" made me want to write. i have a friend with a very defiant and strong willed boy. she swears by a book called "setting limits with your strong willed child" that has helped her tremendously.

good luck with the flight and happy holidays :)

As a former flight attendant, I can tell you most parents don't fit in the bathrooms with their children. Most just leave the door open and stand in the doorway, which blocks pretty much everything from view. Good luck!

Change her before she goes on the flight and make sure she uses the toilet before she boards the plane, then limit her fluids so that the pullups will be somewhat dry during the flight. Do you have a connecting flight? You could make the change before the next flight while on ground.

Does she stay dry at night? If so, why do you think she will need to use the restroom while on this flight? I know airplane lavatories are very tiny, in fact I can stand in the door way and block most of the view, can you? I am not a big person (5 foot 110lbs), so I am guessing most people can block the other passengers view by standing in the door way. Can your daughter get her pants down, get on the potty, wipe, and wash her hands (with your verbal directions) without you physically helping her? My suggestion would be do let her potty while you stand in the door way (with the door open). Yes, other people may stick up their noses, but I think they would rather stick up their noses to that, than have your daughter pee in the seat.

She might amaze you. We were in the middle of potty training our daughter when we went to S. Carolina. She did wonderful, She did not want to use the pull-ups but I told her that we would be in the car for a long time and might not be able to stop, so we put her panties OVER the pull up. We stopped a couple of times and she never had to go (even with drinks and snacks). She was dry the whole day, used the potty when we stopped to eat (5-6 hours later). I would take her to the potty right before you get on the plane and maybe she will not have to go until you get off. As for using the potty on the plane, I would just block the door, and not worry what other people think. If someone gives you a look ask them if they could fit in there with another person! When you gotta go you have to go!

Have her go before she gets on the plane. When you have to take her on the plane take her to the back, that way no one is looking at you but the flight attendants. Put her in first and sit her down. If you can't fit all the way in then leave the door cracked with your back side at the door. Be careful of the flushing and LOUD sound the toilet makes, you want to have her off and a little away first. My niece got really scared of that sound and had trouble in the future. Make sure you plan a couple of times to go and that it is not an emergency before you go so that she has plenty of time to get used to all of the new stuff. Maybe not on this trip if you are going soon but when potty training at home and going places close to home you must not use pull ups. They give her too much freedom to go. You will have to bite the bullet and have accidents and let her "feel" it before it sinks in. Have her clean up her own mess when she has an accident too. That really cements it. Also, if you are having trouble with behavior try the book Magic 1,2,3. It is very good. Good Luck!

I'm a frequent traveler on SWA with my 2 1/2 year old who wears panties. Something to think about ahead of time is if you are in a situation where your daughter needs to go and everyone has been told to keep your seats. I travel with a "potette" portable potty. It folds up small enough to fit in a tote bag and has disposable lines with an absorbing liner that is like a trash bag. We have had one occasion where we weren't supposed to get up and she needed to go. Her car seat was next to the window and we had a row of seats for ourselves. I whipped out the potty and placed it steady on the floor between me and the wall. I also carry flushable wipes and hand sanitizer. She went and then I tied up the liner and put it in a airsick bag. No one was the wiser. We didn't have an accident and we didn't have to get up during the turbulance. Just keep in mind this is dangerous to do if there is turbulance. I found my portable potty at Baby Love but I bought liner refills at Babies R Us so they should carry them also. Good luck with your flight!

However you decide to handle it (not worrying, standing in the doorway or whatever).. please be careful not to express any stress or concerns about it to your daughter. It will affect her behavior and stress about the flight as well. She may surprise you and not need to go... or she may LIKE the strangeness of a different kind of potty and want to go SEVERAL times! My daughter always liked going potty at restaurants, stores, parks... wherever there was a "new" bathroom to use. She has always had great control too, so long trips weren't usually a problem. Although I think 5 hours is probably long enough that she'll need to go during that time.. But I wouldn't think a flight out west would be 5 hours in durations... maybe the whole process boarding, delays, or possible layovers... but I thought they usually were 3 -4 hours in the air.... anyway... Ask the attendant when you board (families with small children can board first, cant they?) if you can go ahead and take her to the potty at that time... so she can see it (and maybe use it?) Often kids take a LONG time in a new place... so many interesting things to see and talk about! LOL
RELAX... it will all work out...

to help with the potty training at home, don't put her in pull-ups. They are diapers and usually kids think of them as such and potty in them anyways. I potty trained my kids in 2 days and we just put undies on them all day and set the kitchen timer. Still to this day, when they hear an alarm they automatically run to the potty! :) If she's not fully potty trained by the time you leave on the flight, I'd just not worry about it on the plane. I sometimes drive to see my family, 800 miles away, with my 3 kids by myself and I put diapers on all the kiddos so we only have to stop when necessary. The 2 oldest, who are already potty trained, are 4 and 3 and it has never set back their progress!

L., I traveled often with my two sons by myself and if one was sleeping it would just so happen the other would need to go..so what i did, was double diaper or pullup for the trip. I told them, it's okay if you have to go...just this time. So..wearing double worked for us, they are 5 and 7 now and are great travelers, but I still stand outside the airplane bathroom, we can't all fit either!

Have your husband do it.
best, k