Diapers on an airplane...how do you do it?!? (older child)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am amazed at the dedication of parents who would bring a potty seat on this type of journey. As if you don’t have enough to carry around! I picture them as samwise gamgee, carrying a pack with pots and pans and a potty seat hanging off the back.

I had to do a couple of 24h+ journeys solo with a 2 year old. Would not recommend. I put off potty training and just did diapers. Pull-ups were harder for me to manage because it required totally taking off pants.

I packed several changes of clothes in my carryon and dressed my kid in elastic waist shorts for the journey. Shorts were key because they were easier to pull down and didn’t touch the floor as much. When we were on the plane and kid needed a diaper change, I would put on an ancient fanny pack that had a small pack of wipes, hand sanitizer, and a couple of diapers. I took kid to the bathroom, said “do not touch anything” about a million times and put the toilet lid down. If the lavatory was small, I would lift him so that he was standing on the seat and hope it didn’t collapse. If there was enough room, I would position kid away from toilet. I pulled down his shorts, took off diaper and threw it away. Then I would wipe if necessary, pulled a new diaper from my fanny pack, and put it on. If I had to flush, I would flush with the lid down and tell kid to cover ears. Wash hands and return to seat. Hand sanitize because for sure the kid touched stuff on the way out. Replenish fanny pack for the next trip. Fanny pack was great because it helped to be hands free.

If you have long haul flights, your airplane will have a bigger lavatory than the smaller planes. Make nice with the flight attendant and ask them for the location of the largest lavatory. Dual aisle planes have to have at least one that is accessible for handicapped people. Use that one.

Our daughters potty seat folds up smaller than the number of diapers we would have to bring for a long haul flight, but I want the dedication points anyway please.

You get the points!! And extra points because I assume you have to sanitize the seat before you fold it up again.

I would also advise you carry emergency diapers for any kid less than a year out of potty training. After I carted my 2 year old on on long haul flights solo, I also took my 2 potty trained kids a few years later on the same trip. Five and three. Would also not recommend. At least this time, I had family for the return trip. We were in a long line for immigration with no outs when my younger one had to go and luckily I had a few diapers with me and I whisked one on and told him he had to pee in the diaper. Another time, we were waiting for a car service with 6 suitcases and same thing happened. I couldn’t leave the luggage, so I used the diaper.

Yes I agree - I bought 2-3 extra diapers for my potty trained 3 year old and then she got explosive diarreah. Thankfully it was only a 6 hour flight and started in the middle. I had used my last diaper and then I saw her about to have to go again and I ran her to the bathroom through all the people trying to get off the plane. So bring more diapers and changes of clothes than you think you'll need!

[Anonymous]

Why pull ups? I have 3 kids and flew with them multiple time a year to Europe and South America. Normal diapers are the easiest to put even standing. Prop your son on the toilet and remove diaper while standing and put new diaper while standing. With pull-ups you need to remove, pants, shoes, etc. with normal diapers you don’t need to remove anything. Just pull pants down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why pull ups? I have 3 kids and flew with them multiple time a year to Europe and South America. Normal diapers are the easiest to put even standing. Prop your son on the toilet and remove diaper while standing and put new diaper while standing. With pull-ups you need to remove, pants, shoes, etc. with normal diapers you don’t need to remove anything. Just pull pants down.

Just to add that I also flew solo with multiple kids (but only 1 non-potty trained at the time since mine all trained at 2/2.5)

[Anonymous]

I don't know who thinks pull ups are easier to change on a standing kid, but no effing way. Diapers with tabs only! Changing a poppy pull up is near impossible without laying down, and they always blow out the back, getting the poop all-over clothing as well.

Also - pull-ups are the WORST for potty training: they pull away all the moisture from the body, so the kids are NOT uncomfortable at all - most kids don't mind being in a full of pee pull-up.

When potty training, buy the least expensive, worst diapers you can, so that the child feels miserable and uncomfortable in them, and therefore wants to use the potty rather than using the pull-up.

- a special ed preschool teacher who has potty trained more students than I can count