Potty training - great when naked, pissy pants everywhere when not...

[Spudlet]

DS is 2.75 and we have just started potty training (on Friday). The first day he did really well, I stripped his bottom half bare and he got all his wees in the potty, with encouragement. We've also managed a few little errand running trips over the weekend and a supermarket shop today, all with dry pants (I have reusable training pants for these outings).

However, at home it's a different story. As soon as I put normal pants in him, using the potty seems to be forgotten. He's managed to let me know once today that he needed to go (as he needs a little help getting his pants down), but he's wet four pairs of pants already, once getting right to the carpet. I keep reminding him about the potty and asking of he needs to use it, and even getting him to sit on it, but all to no avail.

He does get a reward for going in the potty (lots of praise and getting to flush the toilet, which he genuinely loves) and I'm not telling him off for accidents, just saying 'Oh dear, you must tell me when you need to go! Never mind, we'll get it right next time.' I also tell him how well he's doing when he leaves his pants dry. But inevitably they seem doomed to dampness after a while.

He's back at preschool tomorrow morning and I'm not sure what to do. Do we leave it for now and return to nappies, or persist for a bit longer? Is he confusing pants for nappies - maybe just having him in trousers might help?

It's still very early. And he is doing so well! I would keep the pants of at home first of all.. And just keep reminding him every half hour. I also bought a bag of sweets and let him have a little m&m every time. But u could also use fruit.

They say to never go back to nappies once you have started.. can you not keep him home for a bit longer?

He seems to be doing so well!! Gl

You know, in some ways he is doing well... he has control. He can ratioj his wees to get more flushing opportunities (the boy loves a flush) and this evening, he did a little dribble onto the kitchen floor, stopped himself, then took himself off to the potty and practically made it overflow - he must have been bursting!

I think I will persevere with nudey kid at home, and at preschool I'll send him in his training pants, with lots of spare pairs. He's only there for a few hours, and they're pretty good - I need to get some work done, but I reckon he'll be ok. I also got some chocolate buttons as an outright bribe a reward for dry trousers - great minds and all that.

Thank you . He's my first so I just don't know what's normal - it's all new ground for us both!

Sounds like your doing brillant!!

My youngest is 2 and half.. and has been potty trained since 2 but he still struggles getting hes pants and trousers down.. 6 months on.

He went back & forth.. having accidents. But then so does my 40 year old partner

Actually maybe your right.. start at you mean to go forward.. send him to preschool. Cause he's gonna have to learn it eventually.

You got this !

It sounds like he and you are doing great! Pants feel a bit much like nappies and the body is used to peeing with that snug sensation. The ‘oh crap’ method that we followed calls for going commando for several weeks before introducing pants. This worked for my daughter. Also, you should get loads of practice with him re pulling the trousers down and if needed buy new joggies that are very easy for him to remove - telling you he needs is a skill that often comes a bit later but he needs to be able to just go himself imho.

We are having pants pulling down races now - hope the neighbours didn't see this morning I'm going to get him some boxer type pants, I think they'll be easier to get off for him. And probably more training pants for out and about. He is a ball of energy so we do need to get out and burn some of it off before the house is left a smoking heap of rubble!

Thank you guys, I will carry on! He's done two good wees in the potty this morning, and although he had a little dribble into his pyjama bottoms, he stopped himself and did the wee dance until I could take them off, then finished on the potty. So that's good. He'll get there.

And we have a DRY TROUSERS WEE!

Alas, he came back from preschool with a set of poopy pants, but this afternoon I broke out the chocolate buttons and basically gave him one for every time he took his pyjama bottoms down, as he needed motivation. And then later, he succeeded in taking them down (with a bit of help) and weeing in the potty. Excellent.

Thank you for the reassurance, I really was thinking about giving up. But between MN and my mum, we have persevered and I'm glad. Poopy pants and trousers notwithstanding.

Just ('just'!) got to get him to poop in the potty now. I may need more chocolate buttons...