Potty Training Help - Dillsburg, PA

While this is not the optimum solution, it might work in the interim and make him more open to the underwear. Try putting his clothes on without any underwear. I know this isn't quite as sanitary but it may transition him more quickly to underwear.

Good luck.

well, if your son has success when he is naked it would seem that he is ready to be potty trained. i don't think you are forcing the issue at this point. i think it may be time to "force" the underwear issue. i think it's great that you are concerned for how your son feels about not wearing underwear. he has demonstrated that he is ready to be potty trained by his success without clothes. so now it's time to just tell him no more diapers. i would reinforce him with doing something he really likes to do each time he puts the undies on. for example, if you put your underoos on we will go to the park right away and see if that helps!!

K.,
What about letting him go "commando"? LOL That's right--NO UNDIES!!!! Also, make sure his pants/shorts are uncomplicated and easy for him to pull down. He'll get it--I promise :) Boys are, by nature, CRAZY! :)

K.,
I had the same issue with my son. We tried the potty training thing a few times before he turned 3. He refused to wear underwear and even the pullups were an issue. He would kick and scream when I tried to put him in them. He would tell me he wanted to wear diapers. I knew that he was "ready" because he would tell me when he was peeing and would use the potty when asked. We tried just putting underpants on him and that was a horrible experience! He actually wet in his underpants as he stood next to the potty saying he was peeing. That day we decided to just wait. We talked to him about turning 3 and that then he would wear underpants. After his 3rd birthday we tried again. This time with pullups and rewards for using the potty. (We used jellybeans - he loves them!) We had about a week of struggles and now he is 2 months past his 3rd birthday and doing great. He even stays dry overnight!
So, hang in there and my advice is to not push him too hard and try to gather as much patience as you can. Overall boys take longer to train. The positive rewards really helped for us. Good luck!

S. (married mom of a 3-year old boy with another boy on the way)

Hi K.,
I know how frustrating this can be! I posted a similar request a few months ago when my daughter would only pee in pull-ups. She would go hours in underwear and stay dry, but when she had to go, she would ask for a pull-up. One of the responses I got said that by giving her the pull-up, I was reinforcing the behavior. So we took away the pull-ups cold turkey. I told her that we ran out and we weren't going to buy more. She could either use the potty or wet her pants. She wet her pants a couple of times, then starting using the potty. So my suggestion would be to get rid of the pull-ups, except at bed time. Will your son let you put pants on him without the underwear?

This may sound strange but my son would wear his underpants but only backwards! I figured it was better than nothing, and eventually, he did turn them around. Another friend said her son did the same thing-- backwards-- b/c he could see the character better. You son may think this is funny enough to give it a try.

I agree with the lady that said to let him go without underpants. Maybe dress him in swim trunks or similiar for a while (most have a liner in it, yet it's not underwear), just so he gets the feel of being dressed, yet not in diapers.
Also, make sure he can see you or other family members get dressed in the morning. Lay out the parts of the wardrobe for him, name them and have him name them, and maybe he will start picking the underwear by himself eventually. If he leaves it out for a while longer, so be it.
Read books with him that show body parts and clothing items, stories about getting dressed and going potty. It may not happen over night, but eventually they will pick up that it's just the way to go.
My son now tells me to put on my underwear in the morning, so I tell him I will as soon as he puts his on.

Good luck!

I just saw this and I had to respond!!! My daughter,2 1/2, is currently Potty Training...and really...one day she thought that it would be fun I guess to go in the potty! She also runs naked everywhere. We went through the fits over the undies as well, and that has since passed! I even bought her boys underware with race cars on them. This week we have had 2 big breakthroughs!!! Sunday, we were out shopping for like 3-4 hrs., and had NO accidents, and she went on the 'big potty' at the stores, and then today she finally pooped on the potty! This really is a thing that will eventually just kinda come to them! I know that this sounds like I'm rubbing it in...but I'm not, I promise! And we don't have nap or bed time even thought of yet, but when she's up, the undies are on...and we use the potty!!! I really think that he will come around, and just do it one of these days, and shock you!!! or, if very concerned, call his doctor! Maybe they will have some different advice for you!! Good luck and take care! -C.

I would try to show him a little cousin or someone like his older sister that they wear underwear too. Also I would say mommy and daddy wears it too like we all wear shoes,etc. to the store. "It is part of wearing clothes." "It is part of being big". I would definitely get rid of the diapers. It is confusing to them to wear them and not be permitted to use them. If this doesn't help after repeated messages, I would just think he would eventually get it. They all do.
I have two grown sons. My first one was trained during the summer. We spent a large part of the day outside playing. He had several cheap pairs of tennis shoes. I would just let him pee in his pants and into his shoes several times a day if he didn't say potty. Every night I washed the shoes. This lasted about 4 days and he started to run to the potty. I just took the diapers off totally.
The younger one trained easily wanting to be like his big brother.
Good luck! Hang in there.

Well K....I feel your pain. I have a 5yr old boy and a 3yr old girl. The best advice that i can give you is not to rush your son. He will be potty trained in his time not yours. If you can...just let him go with out under wear while you are at home. I did this with my daughter...eventually she just got into a routine with going on the potty. I think she was just being "lazy" when she had the pull up on and wasnt concious about going in her pants. when we go out for any length of time, I will put a pull up on her but will still continuously ask her if she has to got potty. most times she is dry but if she does have an accident, I dont freak out. Just be patient. He will not be in diapers much longer. Dont stress out about it nature will take care of it. Good luck!

My son also dislikes underwear, but we just pretend they don't exist. I put them in his pants and then we just put on "pants" to go outside or run errands or whatever. It seems to work for us. Good luck!

Hi K.! :-) Did you get my email about your refund check? My mom signed it over to you. Do you have plans for thursday or friday? We havent had the girls together in a long time. What if you just let Ian go "commando?" Maybe he will decide underwear is better than nothing. Or maybe he will decide he likes hangin' loose. I dont know.
Maybe someone else will have better advise.
Talk to ya soon.......Hope this is really you.

L.

Potty Training is one of those parenting jobs that is up there on the most stressful jobs list. Congrats that your son is interested and going on the potty. I have a question. Does your son have trouble putting on new clothes? Does he have an adverse reaction to certain textures? Maybe the feeling of the underwear on his body is irritating to him. Have you tried washing them a few times to get them soft? You can also ask your son what it is about the underwear that he does not like. Ask him how you can solve this problem together. " I know that you do not like underwear but you are doing so well on the potty that you can put your diapers away. You need to wear something under your paints, do you have any ideas?" There are also boxers for kid. He may like them better.

Good Luck,

B. Davis, Child and Family Coach
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