Any tips before I lose my mind? 2.5 Yr old wont use potty when clothed

[Bluestripeysocks]

Started potty training my 2.5 Yr old son last week. Read the OH Crap! Book and he absolutely smashed the first 2 days being naked from the waist down at home. Totally independent with going for wees and poos. I only needed to remind him to go once or twice on the first day. Since then, WHEN NAKED, he recognises the need to go (about every 2.5 - 3 hours) and can hold it until he gets to the potty, which I have now moved from the living room to the bathroom. I couldn't be more proud of him for picking this part up so quickly.
Tried clothes on him, feeling naively confident. Sigh. Commando at first as the book suggested.... absolute disaster. Not one pee in the pot. No attempt to get to the potty or toilet then exact same the following day. Went back to naked for a day... complete success.

Today tried staying home, just very loose pants and no trousers... same outcome. Not one successful pee or poo. I know it's only been a week but I was expecting at least SOME progress after 4 or 5 days trying with clothes.

What now?! Are we house bound forever or can anyone suggest anything else I can try. Happy to persevere if anyone thinks it will click soonish and thinks this is normal. Really don't want to go back to nappies as I know he is ready. He is very head strong and absolutely will not sit down to try a wee unless he decides to do so himself. Very frustrating but I am trying really hard not to let him see my feelings. When he has an accident, he tells me he is wet and has done a wee and he does seem a little annoyed by it but I just keep it neutral and say that we will clean these clothes and next time pee goes in the potty.

Where am I going wrong?

I've not had this problem but I know that stubbornness too well.
Do you think he's struggling to know what to do with the clothes? Can he pull down the pants/ trousers by himself. Or have you told him he needs to tell you when he needs to go so you can help him?
If this was my DS(but we potty trained a bit older) it would be the having to ask for help that would be holding him back, like he thinks its a weakness 😅

You could have hit the nail on the head there actually!
He absolutely knows what to do with the clothes but he does need help to actually take trousers or pants down... he just doesn't ask. He literally shows no signs he is about to pee when he is wearing clothes so I can't even get to him quickly enough before I see the tell tale wetness seep through. I have told him over and over to let me know if he feels a wee is coming but he just won't tell me.
His understanding of instructions is excellent so I don't think that is the problem. It's pure stubbornness! Aaaggghhh.

My son is exactly the same, will take himself off to the potty if he hasn't any clothes on, but put clothes on it's accident after accident.
How has your son been getting on?

He is very little OP. I wouldn’t worry. He won’t be a full on nudist in his 30s to avoid wetting/crapping himself.

@HcbSS laughed so hard at this comment spat my coffee into my toast. Good perspective, thanks for this.

@Purple139 still lots of accidents with clothes on but we have found a routine of going to the potty every 2 hours, regardless of the insistence that he doesn't need a wee... where he inevitably does wee when I take him. Just going to keep at that for a while.

He strips himself off when he's at home and manages to stay dry on short outings. I'm calling that a win for now.

Honestly don’t worry. Toddlers are weird creatures.

Literally created a page to look for some advice on this. DD is 3.5 years old and starting pre school in Sept. I tried at 2.5 years old but she would kick and scream and get off the potty every time and go on the floor rather than use it I kept going on and off for months trying for weeks at a time to no avail. I tried putting her on potty every 15 minutes, racing her to potty mid wee cheering even when it was only the last dribble in the loo, stickers, prizes you name it. But I just didn't think she was ready. Finally after all that time she now roams the house daily free from waste down and she has finally grasped it. She will go herself no problems tell you when she has done so you can pass her toilet paper and wash hands. Problem is minute you put clothes or pants on she won't even attempt to look at or go near the loo, won't tell you she needs to go and won't go when you sit her on potty every hour. Then when she wets herself after showing no signs of needing to go she won't even let you know she has gone just gets up and strolls around with wet pants. I am at my wits end now had to invest in a couch and carpet cleaner for all the accidents. On top of it all she only has another 6 weeks until pre school where I have been told she must be fully trained to go herself! Now I am panicking and don't know what to do, even if by a miracle she does get the hang of not wetting clothes I am terrified that she wont ask in a new environment and even worse what if she does a number 2 and needs help wiping will she ask for help? I honestly don't know what else to do now!

Mine has a similar attitude but will have some dry days and some wet days, after several months. Hence we're not really 'done' potty training (3 next month)

Preschool will help as other kids will be dry and they won't want to be different.

I congratulate for 'dry knickers' as well as going on toilet. I suspect neurodiversity is a factor