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3 year old wetting himself on purpose

4 replies

randommangoandpear · 08/07/2023 17:20

We successfully potty trained our son a couple months ago, we did it in 3 days at home. He has 1 or 2 accidents in that time and has had a couple at nursery since, but barely anything.

In the last few days, he has started wetting himself on PURPOSE. He will often tell us he is going to wee on the carpet and laugh, and now he actually does. He just sits there and wets himself on the rug/carpet! He now tells us it’s an accident but when probed he tells us he does it because it’s “funny.”

He still uses the toilet but keeps doing this.

I know it’s probably a terrible approach but I’ve told him if he keeps doing it I’m putting him back in nappies like a baby, which he found upsetting.

has anyone experienced this and what did you do?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
randommangoandpear · 08/07/2023 17:22

Oh, and this morning he took his nappy off (he wears one to bed) and did a massive wee in bed. Ordinarily he’d go to the toilet!

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Hopingforagreatescape · 08/07/2023 17:28

He's just practising his ability to choose when and where he goes - he's a 3 year old and 3 year olds don't have an adult's understanding of laundry/cleaning/soft furnishings etc yet....

Would bribery work? If you said you'd give him an extra story at the end of the day if he only went on the potty that day? Something like that?

TinyTeacher · 08/07/2023 19:21

Oh how annoying for you!

I think perhaps lots of praise (and perhaps a bribe?) When he does one in the potty/loo? Ignoring or mild punishment for "accidents" e.g. change him immediately without looking him in the eye or speaking to him, and sit him down alone until you have finished cleaning up? So no attention for a bit while you clean. Then a quick stern word "wees go in the loo/potty. If they go on the floor i have to clean up and I have less time to play with you. That makes me sad".

Good luck. My friend had this issue and it dragged on rather.... in his case he would deliberately wet/soil in an aqkward place e.g under the dining table or in a bit of carpet. He did this every time his younger brother needed attention and he didn't like it. Dreading mine doing something similar, they are totally unashamed when they have an accident.

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Ladychatterly86 · 08/07/2023 19:28

Mine did this at exactly same age and months after we thought we had mastered going to the toilet. We were also at a bit of a loss for a few days until he did it one morning before we went swimming. We were all packed and ready to go and he just went in the corner of the room. Then laughed. We said we couldn’t go swimming as only boys who use the toilet properly can go swimming. We made a quick grid/ sticker reward chart on a bit of paper and said he needed 15 wees and poos on the toilet to show us that he could go swimming. He never did it again and as soon as he got his 15th sticker we went swimming straight away. I was shocked it worked.

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