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Original poster

2 yr old refusing to wear underwear, any advice?

26 replies

Scarlettwaffle · 30/10/2018 06:18

Also posted in behaviour/development yesterday, but no response there - posting here for traffic...

My DD (28 Months) potty trained easily with no problems. Fast forward a few weeks and she’s suddenly refusing to wear underwear. Says they’re too tight but you can see they’re baggy.
Anyone else had this? Found a way around it? We’ve been resorting to just putting her leggings on last couple of days but I don’t want this to become the norm.... confused

OP posts:

cansu · 30/10/2018 06:25

I would be clear that she must and then take her to choose some she likes and then stick to it. No outings etc until dressed properly.

BeardedMum · 30/10/2018 06:30

I would just let her wear no underwear.

Escolar · 30/10/2018 06:33

I would keep giving her underwear every morning, but not force her to put it on unless she wants to wear a dress or skirt and then explain that she has to.

Don't worry OP. This has "brief phase that we laugh about later" written all over it!

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AvoidingDM · 30/10/2018 06:36

Have you recently bought her new ones? Could they feel scratchy or something?, try washing first.
Do the lables annoy? My LO had pants at one point the label must have been 2 inchs long huge on a small childs bum.

Heismyopendoor · 30/10/2018 06:38

What about shorts, Boxer shorts, instead of pants? The elastic might be itching her

AtiaoftheJulii · 30/10/2018 06:43

I'd buy her some more comfortable pants (boys are often nicer) or just buy some more cheap leggings and let her wear what she wants. One of my dc didn't wear underwear for years!

Ginazon · 30/10/2018 06:44

Yep, my now-8yo is still very particular about pants. She went through a stage at about 3 when she rejected them completely. And also didn’t like anything with a waistband, so leggings were out too. I bought a lot of jumpsuits with loose waists and she lived in them for a couple of months, while we tried to find pants she would accept. She liked some boys pants, the waistband was more comfortable, wider and no scratchy lace.

Ginazon · 30/10/2018 06:45

If she’s happy in leggings, let her wear leggings

Daisyhophop · 30/10/2018 06:49

My daughter did this after having an poo accident! She blamed the knickers! We took her to choose her own and she happily wore boys underpants for a few months!

Neolara · 30/10/2018 06:50

I would tell her she is not allowed to wear pants. Definitely not. If she wears pants mummy will be very cross. Nooooooo, don't put on your pants. Put them down now. Don't touch them. Aaargh, you've put them on. Now mummy is crying (dramatic over the top crying)

Worked brilliantly to get all 3 of my dcs to do stuff when they were going through the terrible twos and would take random militant decisions.

OddestSock · 30/10/2018 06:52

my eldest was very fussy about underwear, she had a phase of what was affectionately known as "knicker rage" - the rage she went into if her knickers didn't feel right.

i remember at one point, she had a pack of 5 pairs which were the only ones she'd wear & i couldn't get another pack the same - i thought she'd still be insisting on wearing these same knickers as an adult :D

she's 8 now, & she's still particular about what she wears (we recently went away & she announced that none of the underwear i packed for her felt right anymore & i had a mad rush to m&s with her, wearing no underwear, so she could pick new ones!).

sometimes it's just easier to go with it. no-one's going to notice she's not wearing underwear if she's got leggings on anyway :)

WheelyWheelySpookilicousCotee · 30/10/2018 06:52

Trial and error.....find some that she'll wear.

The tags and the edges can irritate or be uncomfortable.

Sirzy · 30/10/2018 06:53

Is it the end of the world if she doesn’t wear them?

Offer a few different styles but don’t create an issue.

Ds is nearly 9 and still only wears one type of underpants!

Her0utdoors · 30/10/2018 06:55

A brief (pun intended) phase in my house. Childcare were understanding and unsuprised.

Fatted · 30/10/2018 06:55

I was going to say just let her go without for a while.

Could it be the labels bothering her? I also don't know how boys pants compare to girls, but if they have frills, bows etc could these be annoying her as well? Does she need a size bigger? I always wear underwear a size bigger and do the same for my kids.

Both my DS can be a bit particular about how things fit, and don't like waist bands too tight or too high up, so already my 5 YO looks like one of those lads with his trousers hanging down!

SparkwoodAnd21 · 30/10/2018 06:56

My DS was like this. I gave him a sharpie and let him draw on them and he loved them!

siakcaci · 30/10/2018 06:58

If they are baggy they are probably not comfortable. She is telling you they are tight because she doesn't have the vocabulary/awareness that they are not comfy in another way. Listen to her. Get more pants.

Stompythedinosaur · 30/10/2018 07:08

My dd2 went through a "pants rage" stage too. We tried loads of different pants to find the ones she found least uncomfortable (2 sizes up with a softer edge and princesses on).

Original poster

Scarlettwaffle · 30/10/2018 07:15

Thanks all - quickly scanned but will read properly later!
Seems it’s fairly normal? While it’s not the end of the world now, I don’t want it to stick so she’s not walking around pantless come summer dress weather! she’s been wearing these for a few weeks with no issues which is why I’m confused..., I might try another style?

OP posts:

Stompythedinosaur · 30/10/2018 07:17

The other thing that worked for my dd2 was convincing her to keep an item on for a few minutes (or distracting her for a few mins). She seemed to focus on the sensation of the clothes and find it uncomfortable, but if you could shift her attention away she wouldn't notice them after that.

Ginazon · 30/10/2018 07:26

I don’t want it to stick so she’s not walking around pantless come summer dress weather!

That was where the jumpsuits came in for us

It won’t last forever. Though once you find some she will wear, I suggest buying lots! DD wore some the same 7 pairs of age 2-3 pants until she was 6!

Mind you, I have worn the same style of pants since I was a teenager, and would probably be quite miffed if M&S stopped making them

Plural · 30/10/2018 08:08

@Neolara you sound great!

Mynydd · 30/10/2018 08:15

Can I ask why she needs to? It doesn't matter if she does or doesn't wear pants, right?

Beingginger · 30/10/2018 08:27

My ds2 hated pants at that age, as soon as he potty trained he refused to wear them. When he started school he only wore them on PE days because they have to get changed in the classroom and I told him no one wanted to see him naked.
He’s now 8 and has only just started wearing them everyday. I’ve never pushed it and been quite relaxed because it upset him too much if others mentioned it. I have however bought various styles for him to try and they’ve always been available in his drawers for him to put on even if they weren’t worn.

OddestSock · 30/10/2018 08:45

@ginazon haha! This was exactly the same for my daughter - a pack of 2-3 knickers until she was in year 2 when she came to me one morning and said “Mummy, I think I need some new knickers, these are getting a bit too small” 🤣

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