Potty training/airplanes

BackBayGrrl

My DD potty trained this week--does very well with #1 and pretty well with #2 (getting to toilet on time). Undies all day, pull-up at night. We are flying this weekend. Do I put a pull-up on her or is that confusing/defeating the purpose? I'm just worried the seatbelt sign will be on and she'll wet herself/her seat... TIA

howleyshell

In those situations where we had to be out and about and I had concerns I'd put underwear on them first and then a pull up over it.

That way they still felt their underwear but if they did happen to have an accident we were covered from a major mess to clean up in public.

What I found though was that making them go right before they were going to be restrained in the car or on a plane usually ensured they'd stay dry.  Will she go right as they begin boarding the plane for you?

 

BackBayGrrl

Great idea! Yes, we will try to go right before, and put the pullup over the undies. Thank you.

Lew in Blue

We had to do this too...I used a pull up but called it 'special traveling underpants'. She'd never worn one before so she didn't make the connection between that and a diaper. We used them 3-4 times while traveling during the first summer she was potty trained and she never wet one because she just figured it was the same as underpants! Good luck!

I avoided putting undies on under the pull up since I didn't want to have to deal with wet underpants too.

penguingrrl

In those situations I used pull ups for a long time. When DD was newly potty trained we took a drive from NYC to Louisville, KY to visit family and I used pull ups for the drive just in case. Sure enough, shortly after we passed the last bathroom for 30+ miles and she swore she didn't have to go she needed a potty now. I told her to try to hold it but that if she really had to go that's what the pull up was for. She did use the pull up for emergencies on the road both directions and had no trouble understanding that it was a special case and that otherwise she was to use a bathroom.

mbritto4

When DD was freshly potty trained and we flew we did pull ups.

C.squared

I made the mistake of using only underwear for a 5 hour flight followed by a 3 hour one (and DD had even been PT'd for about 6 months).  It was far too stressful for her and she YELLED I have to go potty every 5 minutes (even though she didn't).  Turned into a big battle.  I put pull ups on over her underwear on the way home and she was dry the whole time.  Lesson learned. 

bubbs147

DD#1 did really well at that time.  We tried it with underwear, and had back up clothing and pull ups, and she didn't have an accident.  Just make sure to get her to go before boarding, maybe even before take off (on the plane), and then during the flight.  

FYI - DD#1 is totally scared of how loud the airplane toilet is when it flushes!  So I usually remind her to either cover her ears or flush after she steps out (after washing hands, of course.) 

schnappycat

We just flew with DS last week and he had been PT for about 2 weeks or so. Thank goodness I put him in pull-ups because DD screamed for half the flight and there was no way I could leave her or take her to the potty on the plane with us (I was alone with both kids). Plus, it turned out that DS was scared and didn't want to leave his seat. I was actually happy that I didn't need to worry about taking him, quite honestly. It was one less thing to worry about in the travel chaos. Plus, we had a 45 minute drive to the airport on both ends, too. And it didn't confuse him at all. We put him back in undies the minute we arrived and he understood it all. 

babyAutumn

I would err on the side of caution and use a pull-up.  We had the same issue with our son last winter when we flew.  He flat out refused to put on the pull-up.  We explained to him the reasons why and he was much more agreeable.  We got off the plane, went straight to the restroom and removed his pull-up and put his "undies" back on.  We also made a big deal of a flight without accidents and celebrated with an ice cream sundae.