Regression - what approach?

[cherryblossomcarpet]

Ds decided to join his older sister when we potty trained her last summer, so has been completely reliable for wees and poo for 6 months since he was 18 months old.

Recently he started to get a bit funny about using the potty, which was made worse by DH getting annoyed and making a big thing about it. He now won't use the potty at all and is holding wee until the last possible moment then wetting himself. He hasn't pooed in 2 days. Again DH didn't help by telling him he'd poo-ed in his pants (he hadn't, just slightly messy on his bottom). Ds won't poo in his pants, he was upset at the idea he had, but he also won't poo in the potty.

What should I do? When I'm on my own with him I can sometimes distract him with a book and get him to sit down on the potty, but not if anyone else is in the house.

Would he use a toilet seat rather than the potty?

Unfortunately not John, he tells me he doesn't need to go and holds on to his trousers if we go near the toilet. He's fine if it is me using the toilet. I always let him come in the bathroom with me if he wants to.

He's clearly able to communicate and control himself. So I'd be wondering if he had a mild uti or perhaps a recent poo that was uncomfortable and that he doesn't want to repeat. You could also think about a offering him nappies or training pants and see what he says. If he wants that I'd advise reusables over disposables as you don't want him too comfortable or he may choose nappies for some time. Also, has anything changed recently, new nursery etc?

Thanks for your help, I'll put him back in his old nappy pants. It's just the poo withholding I'm worried about. He's going to get very uncomfortable and constipated if he doesn't go, and he really won't go in his pants.

Yes to changes. He's just moved up a room at nursery (he goes 2 days a week). It is possible something happened when I was out one evening as I had a sitter, and the situation got much worse after that. Unlikely though, she's from the nursery and v experienced.

V frustrating after 6 months of dry pants.

Good luck. Fingers crossed it's just a short blip.

To update, he's back on track for poos, and getting there for wees. I think it was down to him being unwell. He had a bad cold, and that turned into a chest infection and ear infections in both ears. As well as refusing to use the potty, he started to ask for milk in a baby bottle, and would only sleep with someone in the room with him. It was almost as if he felt so unwell he wanted to be babied.