Silly question....How do you handle a potty break?

Ok, so I work alone and have a wedding reception on Saturday. I am booked for 3 hours, what if I need a potty break, how do I protect my table and kit from growing legs and walking off? Do I ask a guest from the wedding to "watch" my stuff? Or do I pack up my stuff and take it with me? What do you do?

I believe at least one member here mentioned the temptation to start wearing diapers. I have to say that when I did a charity gig, I didn't even think about needing a break until about 3 hours after starting. You might find distraction doesn't let you think about your bladder, and you'd be surprised how well crossing your legs and not looking at anything flowing can work!

Otherwise, by the time you've packed up, had your break and unpacked again, you'll have wasted a fair amount of painting time - even with the most compact and easily-packed of kits. At another gig where I simply HAD to go...I just put my money box into my handbag to take with me, grabbed my camera as it's a fairly expensive one, and got someone in charge to watch my things while I ran to the loo as quickly as I could! That worked for me, though others more experienced than me might have better ideas.

Hope the gig goes brilliantly.

It really depends on the circumstance. I make a point to go as soon as I get to a gig. This usually makesit possible to make it to the end. But, not all bladders are the same & some gigs are all day. I take potty breaks as needed. If it's a festival I ask an adjoining booth to watch my tent & do the same for them. I wear a waitress apron & keep my money in it. I throw my tip jar & camera in the bottom of my fatmax. If it's an event I throw a towel over my paint. I've become quite forceful about saying, "Please understand I've been here for 5 hours & I need to take a 5 minute break." I've only had one parent do the just my kids. She had 2 standing ther & when I said yes, up walked 5 more I gave in after child number 3 & said, "Sorry, but I just can't make it. Please wait & I'll be right back." She waited & did tip me... LOL....

Dear Whoobie,

Have you not met the Pee-Pee Fairy yet?! That little sprite comes down and lays her little magic wand on face painters' heads and this allows them to go for hours upon hours without having to take a pee-pee break.... at least if you are sit down painter.

But beware; the moment you stand up, gravity kicks in and, well, you know, you gotta RUN FAST!

I keep a large black towel in my lap. When I REALLY gotta go, I grab my purse or money bag, close my brush easel, and cover the top of my fat max with my towel. on top of that I place a sign i had printed: PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH.. BATHROOM BREAK.... BE RIGHT BACK!

I close my folding chairs and lean them against the fat max also.

I agree with Miss Ronnie on the Pee-pee Fairy. She works her magic standing up as well. I saw myself going more then 6h face painting kids without a potty break. And that is doing it standing up. Once you start painting, the time flies so quickly, and next thing you know, you're done.

It's probably a bad habit but I don't eat and drink a lot if it's right before a gig and, like Linda says, I go right before I start (I like to wash my hands anyway)

Three hours isn't too long. You should be okay. At fairs and festivals you have to plan on it, warn people it's coming (have a sheet or large towel to cover your table) and if you can have a helper come watch your stuff.

When I did a festival we ended the line just like we would at the end of the day and had a line up about 10 minutes before we told them the break would be over. They'll come back.

Denise, love the avatar!

While 3 hours isn't that long of a wait for me (if I go right when I get there) sometimes your bladder will just decide it's had enough of your blatant disregard for it's magnificience and WILL throw a tantrum of severe magnitude.

For those occassions you need to take into account your surroundings. At a festival, I'd get the parent next person in line (who's young enough to need parental supervision) to watch my stuff and offer an incentive (50% off their design or a free design if it's a wee one I'm painting next). If I"m at a formal event/party like you're going to be doing, I'd bring a big black tablecloth, a couple of those table cloth clips and a sign. I drape the table cloth over the whole table, snap on the holder clips to make it harder to get under the cloth and prop up a sign that says I'll be back in X minutes. At those events I can usually get the next child in line to watch my stuff and promise something like a face upgrade if everything is JUST as I left it when I get back. As long as you take precautions before the situation reaches critical overload, you should be able to smoothly manuever the mine field that is bathroom breaks.

Good Luck!

Well for the benefit of others I will say this. about the few times this has happened. and my most embarasing:
So far I have only ever had to go on one occasion as an emergency. Lets just say I was very new, and it was for "womens issues..." if you get what I mean. I was under alot of stress at the time and it came early so it was not predictable
The way I handled it was to grab the next two mums in line (as opposed to dad) and politley explain the situation. They were very nice and said Go very emphatically I didn't even have to ask they volunteered as soon as the words came out of my mouth. (I was unsure at the time what to do) and I went.
It turns out if that ever happens other women are supper suportive and very helpfull.
Other than that I have always been able to hold my bladder well. If I go before I start I can usually make about 8 hours. When I do12 hour PPF I usually get a friend of relative to stop by. One time I didn't, so I befriended the nearest store owner as we were setting up. basically I will watch your stuff if you watch mine when we need to go.
and I am a standing painter too and spend most days standing cleaning up around kids etc so It may have something to do with it.

Thanks you guys give awesome advise! I'll have to see if that pee-pee fairy is available tomorrow! lol!

You'd be surprised what a simple towel can do as far as keeping kids from messing with your paint! Out of sight, out of mind! I start by not drinking too much right before, as long as it's like a 100 degree summer outdoor gig or something obviously. I go right before the gig (I'll ask the organizer where the restroom is so I can fill my rinse water anyway). It's amazing how you can get dirty looks by politely asking the parents/kids to wait 2 minutes while you run to the restroom when you've been painting for hours straight! So what I usually do is combine it with a trip to change out my dirty rinse water. I'll stand up, show the next child and parent in line my water..."eeew, this rinse water is looking kindof dirty now...I'm just going to go change it out so that you'll have some nice, fresh water for your face painting!" Turn it into a benefit for them and they are suddenly very nice about it. I also have a small sign that says "Be right back" or "Back in 5 minutes" that I'll either clip to the back of my chair with a spring clip, or lay on top of my towel-covered paints. Security measures will depend on your location, who is around you, how far the bathroom is, etc. But I'd grab your purse and tip jar if you have one to be safe.

It is only three hours... ?????

I put Depends on mom... I just hold it. I can go all day without the need to go. Once we are done... that's when I need to find a toilet!

I never leave my kit unattended, period.

I usually go once or twice before the event, and since my Gradma usually get the booth next to me at festivals, I always have someone I trust to watch over things. Ditto on a cloth/sheet to cover my things until I get back

At all day events, I have my line manager to hold the line for me. I've never had anyone upset at me for needing to pee. Then I make a big show of sanitizing my hands, so no one gets grossed out about it.

Well the event went off without having to use the lu...guess I was blessed with the pee-pee fairy afterall! It was an interesting reception, I think I did just as many adults as I did kids! Lots of Ninja Turtles, wolvering, batman, the usual, did have a request for a penis on the forehead towards the end of the night! Ah.....NO! was my answer! Got paid my usual $50 per hour plus got tipped by the bride and groom another $30! The funny part was the last guy wanted a unicorn on his forehead, he was a little tipsy....he asked if I had ever painted a unicorn...I said yes...and proceeded to paint my normal little cutesy My Little Pony looking unicorn, right? Then handed him the mirror and he started cracking up! He said...no! I wanted a unicorn HORN! I wanted you to make me a unicorn!!! I offered to change it but he wouldn't let me! Too funny!

At least he didn't ask for a unicorn penis!

I once had a tipsy man asking for a penis. "Sorry, don't have my number 0 brush with me today!"
He didn't know what to say....

wow! i cant believe how uncommon it is for you guys in US to have a potty break!
In NZ we plot a 15min every 3 hrs.
when im by myself i just cover my paints and make a dash for it..5mins max but have never had a problem with anyone touching my stuff. a sign saying back in 5mins is a good idea too.

l!zzie wrote:I once had a tipsy man asking for a penis. "Sorry, don't have my number 0 brush with me today!"
He didn't know what to say....

Too funny, wish I'd thought of that!

Miss Ronnie wrote:At least he didn't ask for a unicorn penis!

Don't know how I would have responded to that request!

Most the old festival pros will tell you there is no such thing!
We can pull 11 hours straight through when needed.
And gravity is not a factor as most of us work standing up.

If you must have one you simply announce a person or two back in the line you will be taking a quick break. When folks see the long lines and how quickly you are working the are understanding. Of course too the better you are the more understanding they are!

I love the unicorn story- too funny. I also get requests for the "penis" when we do bar gigs...its always the friends who try to pay us to do it, then the client figures out what they are up to and offer to double it so we don't. We wouldn't do it of course, but we play along and the laughter that ensues is always worth the joke...Men can be pretty raunchy when it comes to face painting..lol.

i hate to leave my kit ive had kids drop my glitter twice lol once in my wet paints n that makes a mess, i am like a lot of u nothing to drink til after i am done even if i paint 10 hours i can hold it. (unless its my lady time)
it is probably real bad that we hold it though, if i think i may be getting a bladder infection then i drink tons of cranberry juice so far i am fine lol

I am currently perimenopausal (at 43 yrs. old) and one of the many lovely symtoms is very heavy flow at least one day a month. When this happens I rarely leave the house at all because it is THAT bad. (super plus tampons last maybe an hr.) Scares me because I just know one day it will fall on a day I have a Festival (or even a party) and I won’t know how to handle it. Worst part is that it’s totally unpredictable, sometimes it’s the first day, sometimes the third day and my cycle isn’t predictable either anymore. Sometimes it comes again after 2 weeks, sometimes three or four weeks.

Just one more reason why I hate the aging process. I may be 43 but feel 25, just typing 43 made me cringe a little.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm 52 and I'm still 22 in my head. You're just at the beginning I'm afraid. The ageing process will get worse before it gets better.

If I have a long gig I sip at least 1.5 litres of water slowly through the morning and stop about 1 hour before the gig. I go to the loo a couple of times before I start and then I'm good for many hours.

If I don't have enough to drink and then paint for several hours I get the mother of all headaches.

I once had to stop at the side of the road to be sick while driving to my 2nd gig because I hadn't had enough to drink. Thank goodness the 2nd gig was a relatively calm christening as opposed to the 1st gig which was a very loud 1st communion celebration.