Potty training, going backwards not forwards!

[MummyRE]

Hi, my son was 2 at the end of august, for a good month or so before his 2nd birthday he had been using the potty at home (we tend to leave him bare bum at home) we decided at the beginning of November to start potty training him because he was using the potty consistently at home and had started to ask to use the toilet when we were out in public. The transition into pants at first was difficult which I expected but after a few days it seemed to be clicking. After a couple of weeks he seemed to have the hang of it, and was having maybe 1 accident a day and some days he was dry, even at nursery. We are now at week 6 and the last two weeks have been an absolute nightmare! He is having the odd accident at home now, but out in public and even again at nursery and his nanny’s house where he goes one day a week is just accidents all the time. Last week we went to a soft play that we regularly frequent and he has used the big toilet there the last 3 times we went and told me every time, but all of a sudden that day he peed himself there twice and wouldn’t use the toilet and was asking for the potty. Today we were out and in Burger King he told us he needed a wee, so my husband took him to the toilet but he wouldn’t go. By the time we got back to the car half an hour later he had peed himself even after me asking if he wanted to go outside. I am feeling very deflated and don’t know what to do. He is always bare bum at home but I’m thinking maybe he needs to be fully dressed at home the way he is when we are out. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to stop playing when we are out to go, like he recognises that he needs it but then won’t go, or in general just won’t tell us. But as soon as we get home he’s back to using the potty no problem. He’s pretty defiant anyway so sometimes when I prompt him too much he gets angry and it makes him worse!

[ERIC-Charity Partner]

Hi, is it wee or poo? it's possible he is holding his poos in and this is putting pressure on his bladder...in which case he might need some laxatives. It's not uncommon for children who are potty training to learn to hold their poo in. I would definitely agree to have him clothed at home, start with pants and work towards learning to pull trousers up and down.

here's some information on potty training from our website...eric.org.uk/potty-training-...

[MummyRE in reply to ERIC-Charity]

No it’s not poo it’s wee only, I’ve started today keeping him dressed like he is at nursery and when we go out instead of letting him run bare bum. He has peed himself 3 times already, it’s very frustrating because I can see that he know he needs a wee as he starts to hold himself alot but when I’ve prompted him he just won’t go and says he doesn’t need it, then a few minutes later he’s peed himself.

[ERIC-Charity Partner in reply to MummyRE]

Make sure he is drinking 6-8 cups of water or squash a day, to give his bladder chance to expand fully with wee. If he experiences wetting accidents or urgency, that's usually a sign of constipation, have a look at our Poo Problems page

[MummyRE in reply to ERIC-Charity]

I will have a look but I don’t think it’s constipation as he poos very regularly every morning and evening.