does going back to nappies ever work??

[roleypoley]

DS is 3yrs 3months and has been out of nappies for about 6 months. He's been a bit up and down but has had periods where he's been really good and I know he has the ability to stay clean and dry. He's currently the worst he's been and is wetting and soiling regularly even though we take him to the toilet frequently. He has completely stopped asking to go to the toilet or telling us he needs a wee/poo. If we ask him why he went in his pants he says 'I don't know' or 'because I said so'. He just doesn't seem to care at all. Incentives work briefly then he gets bored. Today I told him pants aren't to do wees and poos in and if he carries on then he'll have to wear a nappy. From what I've read this isn't advised but I'm feeling desperate and don't know what else to do. Has anyone this?

*has anyone tried this

Yes, it worked really well with DS1 when he regressed at a similar age. We were tearing our hair out with him. Took the pressure off everyone, took the attention away from the subject. BUT, you must be calm and matter of fact about it, just act completely cool about it all (be nice, don't make it seem like a punishment) and let him decide by himself when he's had enough of wearing pull ups. It won't take long I'm sure.

That's good to hear. I hope it will be the case for us! I just don't see anything else working. I want him to get the message that pants aren't for weeing and pooing in and unless he uses the toilet he'll have to wear a nappy. Then hopefully he will decide to go back to pants!

I would use pull ups and keep taking him to the loo as a matter of routine so he still knows what it is about. DS was very late training and taking our time completely going back to pull ups and then weaning him off them again worked for us.... Eventually.

My DD2 had been reliably trained for about 6 months before I had DS. When DS was about 2 months old she reverted to pooing in her pants. After a couple of weeks I was at my wits end so we went back to nappies (pull ups), she was fine again within a week or so - looking back the main thing, I think, was for me to stop being angry and stressed about it, which gave her the time and space to get back on track.

Us too Nelly, letting go of the battle and focus gave DS1 control and much less attention so he could realise he didn't actually want to wear the pull ups and (he thought) we didn't care either way

So far so good! He's only spent half a day back in a pull up so far, after he had a couple of accidents that morning & since then he's chosen to wear pants and kept them clean and dry. I think you are all right in that it eases the pressure, I know I was getting to stressed and he could see that.