Potty training on road trips: a plan that survives the highway

Three weeks into potty training and the family trip is booked. Good news: a portable urinal keeps the routine intact. This is the plan.

1. Practise at home first

   Let your child use the travel cup in the bathroom for a few days so it becomes a familiar object, not a roadside surprise.

2. Pick the right funnel

   Boys’ and girls’ funnels are shaped differently. If you have one of each, pack both; they nest in a tote bag.

3. Keep it within reach

   Store the cup in the seat-back pocket, not the trunk. “I need to go” rarely comes with a five-minute warning.

4. Stop, park, go

   Pull over safely, let your child use the cup in the back seat, close the lid and carry on. Empty at the next rest stop.

5. Carry a backup

   A few disposable urine bags cover the moment the cup is full or left at the campsite.