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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

Original poster

3yr old son weeing in pants

5 replies

bobflob · 09/07/2023 11:54

My son has been potty trained for about a year and has just started wilfully weeing in his pants.

This only happens at home or and the grandparents house. At nursery he is fine and doesn't have accidents and when we're out he doesn't wet himself.

We have started encouraging him to use the potty again every half hour or so, he will sit down happily not wee, but then get up to play and later wet himself before I ask him to go potty again.

It's just out of the blue he's started to do this. Not sure what to do, or whether this is a normal brief phase little boys go through.

Me and my wife are exasperated but are trying to be as positive with him.
L

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Sweetashunni · 09/07/2023 12:00

Following as I’m having similar issues

AHelpfulHand · 09/07/2023 12:05

I have the same issue with regular accidents. My son is 6 though.

he also gives me hardly any notice that he needs the toilet when we’re out.

I have to carry spare clothes everywhere.

after talking to a few mums in his class, it’s a common thing with boys as there are a few boys in his class that are the same

pb1234 · 09/07/2023 20:52

Try a reward chart.
We filled a box with cheap toys, bubbles etc from pound shop. A sticker for every wee in the potty then after 3 stickers pick a treat from the box. Once chart was full a bigger treat such as a book or game.
We didn't have to do it for long but got him back on track.
Good luck

atthebottomofthehill · 09/07/2023 20:58

I'm a psychologist.

In brief, what you need to do it make weeing in the toilet much much much more rewarding than in his pants.

So basically a reward every time he does it in the loo, I wouldn't bother with a chart at first I would go straight for a little 10p type toy or even a few chocolate buttons when he does it. Make a big song and dance about it, lots of well dones etc. If this goes well you can move onto a start chart where he earns a reward after getting say, 3 stars (start small to motivate, then gradually increase if necessary. Probably he'll go back to normal soon and you can phase it out altogether).

When he does it in pants, say nothing, don't react at all just calmly change him. Any reaction even negative can reinforce it.

Rewards are not useful for lots of situations but this is one where it is very effective and short lived.

Coffeaddict · 09/07/2023 21:02

atthebottomofthehill · 09/07/2023 20:58

I'm a psychologist.

In brief, what you need to do it make weeing in the toilet much much much more rewarding than in his pants.

So basically a reward every time he does it in the loo, I wouldn't bother with a chart at first I would go straight for a little 10p type toy or even a few chocolate buttons when he does it. Make a big song and dance about it, lots of well dones etc. If this goes well you can move onto a start chart where he earns a reward after getting say, 3 stars (start small to motivate, then gradually increase if necessary. Probably he'll go back to normal soon and you can phase it out altogether).

When he does it in pants, say nothing, don't react at all just calmly change him. Any reaction even negative can reinforce it.

Rewards are not useful for lots of situations but this is one where it is very effective and short lived.

We did something along the lines of this. Our issue was more about poos rather then wees but similiar idea.
So he loved the mini jam dodgers so used a jam biscuit and was very effective.

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