3 year old wee wee in pants

[StephyN]

I very successfully potty trained my 3 year old son in a week thanks to Gina Ford. Things were going well until he got a urinary infection. Since this incident he constantly wee wee's in his pants. I see him dancing round the house and when I ask do you need a wee wee he says no, he has even said no I just want to dance! However, when I make him go to the toilet, he has invariably had a wee wee in his pants!

I am at the end of my tether with this, I have ignored it and just cleaned him up - no change, I have tried putting him on the naughty spot - no help, I have confiscated his favourite toys - nothing changes, I have even taken him home from places because he has wee wee'd in his pants.

Last night I had a chat to him [possibly fooling myself that I could rationalise with him] I said it made Mammy very sad when he did a wee wee in his pants and that it mustn't be nice having wet pants, and that we should start again, and if he did wee wee's and poos in the toilet I would give him stars and high fives. He said he was sorry and said "will tell Mammy or Daddy if I need wee wee or poo". Then this morning when I said do you need a wee wee, he said yes, [I thought great] then he said and I need new big boy pants. He had wee wee'd in his pants again.
What on earth can I do to solve this problem? Any help suggestions would be appreciated.

Don't punish him :( Take him back to the doctor, the infection might not be completely cleared up. If it has and that's not the problem, then you need to start again with potty training.

But don't punish him, he's not being naughty and you will cause him issues.

my previously dry 3yr old has started to wet herself too. She has a cold so I'm hoping it will stop when she's feeling better, these things happen and have happened before.

Sounds like the urinary tract infection hasn't quite cleared up or he's feeling a little under the weather. I'd give him loads to drink (flush out his system) and take him back to GP (with spare clothes with you!)

I understand your frustration, it drives me mad too. Just when you get used to not carrying spare clothes with you too! Hope he's soon sorted.

You can't tell a three year old your sad because he wets himself!

Two small things helped my son - giving him some sort of reward (not food but stars that would eventually end up being translated into money and then he could choose a present for £10). The other thing was to make it an enjoyable thing, i.e. we bought some of these balls you put in the potty or toilet to get your son to aim and wee on it. It may work. Also if he goes to nursery, it might be worth finding out if there are any other toddlers doing the same thing and perhaps he's copying them.