5 Public Potty Pointers

Ah, what to do when you're at the park or on the road and your child needs to relieve herself? Some parents bring the training potty from home with them when they travel, which gives kids a familiar place to go.

You can also consider buying a plastic folding seat cover to bring with you when you have to make dashes into dirty gas station bathrooms. If the seat cover is used every time you travel, its familiar sight can make new potties a bit more comfortable. (Many fold-up potty seat covers are small enough to throw in your purse in a sealed baggie.)

Dr. Brown recalls that in a pinch, she used a small car trashcan as a makeshift potty when she was on the road and her daughter insisted she had to go "NOW!"

I'll admit, I'm not fond of most bathrooms you'd find at the park. Port-a-potties? I'd rather bypass those, too. But when your child's gotta go, he's gotta go. To make enclosed public toilet trips a little more pleasant, make sure that your travel bag is stocked with tissues, perfumed lotion, and hand sanitizer.

Dr. Arinoldo reinforces that preparation is key—especially for children who are just learning. Point out the port-a-potty when you get to the park.

"You can tell [your child] that the potty is smelly," adds Dr. Brown, "but everyone poops and that's where it goes. It's just a fact of life." To make the trip a little more bearable, have your child hold her nose or dab a spot of perfumed lotion under her nose. Bring tissues in case the bathroom is out of toilet paper, and don't forget the hand sanitizer afterwards.