DD can use potty but won't if wearing pants/pull ups - help

[Lucky13]

DD is 2.7 and has been using the potty and toilet for some months now. I try and leave her pull-ups off at home and then she always takes herself to the potty or toilet or tells me. She seems quite happy about it and I always reward her and tell her what a clever/big girl she is, just like her friends.

If however I put either pants or pull-ups on her, she will always wee or poo in them and will walk around wet/dirty quite happily without telling me.

I really don't know how to make the transition. She loves wearing 'big girl pants' and tells me she is not going to wee/poo in them, but then does.

I try to ask her regularly about using the potty, when she's wearing pants and she says no and then a couple of minutes later does a wee. I'm just not sure how to help her.

She needs to be ready in September for preschool - so what do I do next?

Any advice would be great - thanks

Does she need to be ready for preschool in September? Really? Try not to set yourself and her a date that puts pressure on both of you.

Do you always leave the pants off at home and she just gets them on to go out of the house?

Try putting a pair of trousers on her without pants underneath, it can help the transition.

MmeLindt, its not essential, but they do like them to be potty trained if possible.

She has been using the potty fine since just after 2. I haven't been pushing it, she loves her chair potty. She knows poo and wee goes into the toilet and likes to flush it herself.

I do need to get a bigger step stool though as she is too small to reach the toilet herself.

She mostly has no pants on at home, except for just before we go out/come home and pull-ups at bedtime.

I will try just the trousers approach and see how that goes thanks.

I just would love to understand why she can tell me that she needs a wee or poo and uses the potty, but not when wearing pants!

I'm rubbish at thinking like a toddler - I need some education!!

Nah! the trick is to get them to think like you

She's used to the feeling of a nappy and weeing and pooing in it, she'll get there

So she has pants or pull-ups on when she goes out? Perhaps she connects using the loo with being at home then?

I know nurseries prefer the DC to be potty trained, but if she isn't, don't worry about it.

KickArseQueen, I know she'll get there - I'm just being an unreasonable Mummy!

Mme Lindt, you are probably right, but she will still poo in pants at home or at her grandparent's house, where she is also happy using the potty/toilet.

In fact she doesn't usually like to poo when out.

Should I not put pull-ups on at all during the day do you think? I mainly do it because we have reasonable length car journeys to get most places, but I could put a towel down just in case.

I stopped usinging them on my girls because it really did seem to cause confusion.

I bought one of these to go in the carseat/buggy. Failing that a towel with a binbag underneath works well too.