Guides · A new bathroom, on purpose
Potty training on holiday
Published by Upcott Studios. Parent reading, not a medical leaflet.
A holiday is a new bathroom, a new bed, and a day that does not run on your kitchen clock. You can keep potty training going. You can also decide that the travel days are nappy days, on purpose, and start again when you are home. Both are plans. Only the surprise version feels like failure.
Take the seat they know
If it fits in the car, pack the potty they already use. A strange hotel toilet is a big ask on night one. A familiar seat in the bathroom, even if they end up using the big toilet, makes the room less foreign. Add a waterproof layer for the bed, two sets of pyjamas, and the bag from days out.
Name the journey nappy
On a flight or a long coach trip, a nappy for the journey is a tool. Tell them before you board: “Nappy while we are on the plane. Potty at the house.” Do not schedule the first nappy-free morning for the day you also drive for hours and arrive at a wedding. Pick one hard thing. If the week is busy, keep the night nappy even if days at home were dry. Sleep in a strange bed is already enough.
The afternoon you get home
Put the potty back in its old spot the same day. Do a normal, slightly boring afternoon. You do not need a speech about starting again. The potty log can pick up with the next try. If the holiday undid the days, treat the first home week like a soft regression: same words, fewer demands, no bigger prize.
