Diaper Bag Essentials for Potty Training

As if potty training isn’t scary enough when you are locked away in your own home, sometimes you may ACTUALLY have to leave the house. Eek! Now what? As with everything else in parenting, the key is preparation. Now, I stopped carrying a full diaper bag as we entered the toddler years. It just wasn’t need. Then we started the potty training process, and I will admit, I am back to a full backpack diaper bag. What do I carry in it? Here are our diaper bag essentials for potty training age children.

Diaper Bag Essentials #1 – Extra Clothes

Kids get messy, so extra clothes are always a good idea. However, during potty training, at least one extra set of clothing is a MUST! You never know when your toddler will suddenly and urgently need a restroom, and how close or far that restroom will be. Accidents happen. Its just a part of the process. Extra clothes will be invaluable should one of these accidents occur.

Diaper Bag Essentials #2 – Plastic Bags

While we are speaking of accidents, let’s talk plastic bags. Now, your toddler has had an accident, and you had extra clothing to change them into. Great! But now what on Earth do you do with their soiled clothes? Nobody wants to walk out of a public place carrying underpants dripping with pee. Or worse! You can’t throw them into the diaper bag and contaminate everything else in there. So what can you do?

I like to keep either a couple grocery bags or even gallon-sized freezer bags in my diaper bag. If an accident happens while we are out and about, I can simply toss the dirty clothes into a plastic bag and seal it. Then I can either carry it out without leaving a trail of mess behind, or I can throw the sealed bag in my diaper bag without worrying about making a mess and dirtying everything else in there.

Diaper Bag Essentials #3 – Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are not only great for cleaning up all messes made by toddlers, but also for their intended purpose. They are also, in my opinion, more effective and easier than trying to use regular toilet paper. I always make sure to have wipes with me.

Diaper Bag Essentials #4 – Hand Sanitizer

Obviously, after using a restroom, especially a public one, you will want to wash your hands, and your child’s. However, kids seem compelled to touch every freakin’ thing they can reach. Constantly. It can be maddening. I like to keep hand sanitizer in my bag, because sometimes hand washing just ain’t enough.

Once, after washing my child’s hands in a public restroom, he managed to touch the following in the 30 seconds it took us to leave:

• The Counter
• The Floor
• Two Garbage Cans
• A Mystery Stain on the Wall
• The Door Handle

Now, I don’t consider myself to be a germaphobe, but that was just so much yuck that I couldn’t handle it. Hand sanitizer to the rescue. If nothing else, it at least made me feel better.

Diaper Bag Essentials #5 – Mom Socks

Okay, this one is extremely important for BOY MOMS. An extra pair of socks for mom is necessary. If you don’t know what “pee socks” are, you have never potty trained a boy. They have no concept of aim when they are first learning to go. So they plop down onto the potty and let the pee fly. And fly it does. Everywhere. And since mom is standing there trying to assist, she is usually in direct line of fire. Boom. You now have “pee socks.”

Now, moms, you probably wont die from walking around with a pee soaked sock. But who on Earth wants to?! Socks are small. Throw a pair of yours in the diaper bag. Trust me, you’ll appreciate this later.

Diaper Bag Essentials #6 – Portable Potty Seat

Another thing that can be useful is a portable seat to place on top of public toilets. First off, it cuts down on the child’s yuck exposure. Second, toilet seats in public restrooms tend to be quite large and can be hard for small children to sit on. You can find small seat toppers at any retail store that carries baby gear, or on Amazon, for a reasonable price. Keep the seat in a plastic bag inside your diaper bag for easier public potty experiences.

*Note: I love this idea, but my stubborn son insists on sitting on the ACTUAL seat of the toilet. (Insert Eye Roll!)

Other Diaper Bag Essentials

I also carry other things in my diaper bag that are not related to potty training. These items are still good for the potty training age-range. I try to keep them to a minimum so I am not lugging around a thousand pounds while chasing a 3-year-old. So here is a list of our other diaper bag must-haves:

• Snacks
• Drinks
• Small Toys
• Sunscreen

These items will get you through many outings. What are some of your essentials for your diaper bag? Anything helpful for potty training that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

For more on The Reality of Potty Training, CLICK HERE!