Potty Time Issues

My friends 8 year old is still a naked pooper. He completely disrobes before he sits down to poop. Now fortunately, he gets redressed before he comes back out.

LOL My 9-year-old daughter has done this since she was first potty trained and hasn't stopped yet. She doesn't do it when we're out and about, but at the grandparents, yep, off everything comes. She usually strips naked. ;)

My brother is 38 years old and he still "takes it all off" on the bottom when he uses the bathroom, usu for number two.

I think it's a comfort issue. I personally don't see anything wrong with it, so I'd let him be. He'll either outgrow it, or it will be a special quirk of his.

I would go in there with him, pull his pants down to his ankles and sit him down just to show him that the pants around the ankles are not an issue while using the potty.

Does he dress himself? He probably just doesn't have the coordination to pull his pants back up. Even if he does help dress himself, getting your pants back in place from the ankles all on your own is still tricky for that age. It's awesome that at 2 1/2 he is potty trained in the first place, and that he goes on his own and brings back the clothes to boot! I would practice dressing with him in general, and especially concentrate on pulling pants up. He might still need help for a while

Demonstrate to him. I did that with my twins and they understood it. Mommy doesn't take off all her clothes to go to the bathroom I don't. Easy suggestion!! Good Luck!! If you don't feel comfortable with going to the bathroom with your son there have daddy do it.

If he's sitting on the potty, then he probably needs to take them off in order to hike his leg up so that he can actually pull himself up to sit on the potty. Easier to get down if your legs aren't bound to each other by the pants too. If he does it when he stands, it's because he most likely isn't quite tall enough to get all his stream into the potty and wants to keep his pants clean (and not be embarassed by having pee pants). Either way, just wait it out. It's nothing that a little height and getting older won't take care of on it's own :)

Kids that age just love to take their clothes off!! Don't make a huge issue of it and he'll get past this phase.

It's not odd--my boys did it too. I think with my oldest he was afraid of getting his clothes dirty. He took off his shirt too--I always thought it looked cold to sit on the potty completely naked. He'll grow out of it. My parents used to hassle me about it and tell me to make them stop taking off their clothes to sit on the potty, but I figured it didn't cause any harm and if it made them more comfortable to sit on the potty that way it didn't bother me. Maybe you can just tell him if he wants to take them all off then he has to learn to put them back on by himself.

He's 2 1/2?? Just leave him be. He will figure it out soon enough.

I wouldn't worry about it, my daughter does the same thing when she goes to the bathroom by herself. I think it is just easier for them to get on the toilet and everything without the clothes around the ankles. He will grow out of it and learn to leave his clothes on his ankles. He is still young, just be proud of him for going on the toilet, because that is awesome!

Oh, that's normal. My younger so did that too, long past 2 1/2. He'll grow out of it.

S. -

I empathize with you b/c my dtr tends to do the same. She's almost 6 though. I'm not sure what the reason is . . . all I can think of is that when she first started to learn - that was what we did - strip down b/c it was before bath or before bed (when we'd put on a pull-up instead). I should let you know that she is not doing this in public places. We have told her several times that it's not necessary. I think it's just more comfortable for her. We don't tend to have a problem at school, stores, or at church. It's just in the comfort of her own home. I know when this first started happening my husband laughed at it b/c he remembers that when he was potty training he'd do the same. He thought this was supposed to be done every time you went #2. It either had something to do w/going potty before bath or watching someone else do this before a bath. Obviously, he doesn't do this now. Ha! So, relax - your son will grow out of it. I think it will just take time and a lot of reminders. I think I found that my dtr doesn't do this when she has friends over either - it takes too long and cuts out play time. Good Luck!

My son did this a lot too. He's 6 now and still does it occasionally at home. I also think if they ever pee on their clothes by accident that that can contribute to the desire just to take them off completely. For some reason my son also sometimes likes to perch on the seat and squat and so he needs he pants all the way off to do that. I don't know if it an issue with slight constipation or if he just didn't like the feeling that he might fall in. (He's pretty small/skinny) but I didn't make an issue of the clothes part unless we were in a public restroom and he has outgrown it for the most part. I would focus on if he is going to take them off, he needs to put them back on before he leaves the bathroom.

S.,

That phase drives me nuts, especially when they have to go in a public restroom or in the winter when they insist on stripping every layer. Your best bet is probably to have your husband teach him how to go standing up. For going poop, I just had to wait until my kids outgrew the phase and realized it wasn't necessary to take off everything - including socks and shirts - to use the toilet. This, too, shall pass.

Good luck,
S.

hey, at least he goes on the potty at all! my son is over 2 1/2, and he could care less about the potty unless hes stripped completely naked :P

ive seen this before. i had a child in my child care who would push his pants ALLLLLL the way down to his ankles, and then he, and his sister, would pull up their underwear and their pants separatly.

its just something he will do because thats what hes comfortable with. as long as it doesnt affect his ability to GO potty, who cares! :D so just have patience. he will learn on his own that its easier to keep his pants on.... but until then, hes doing great just going! :D

I think it's easier for boys to not get pee all over their shorts when they take them off. But I do remember the problems presented when we were out and about in restrooms. You could teach him to go standing up? Carry a wipie box with sanitary wipes in them, wipe the underside of the seat and have him lean forward and hold on to the seat. It helps him aim until he gets taller and can better direct the flow. Or, if you think he's ready, teach him (or have Daddy) how to use the hole in his undies. My son is 3 and thinks it's the coolest thing to "pee like Daddy". But it's not so weird that he strips the lower half, just easier for him probably.

this is a normal issue with all kids being potty trained!! just let him do it and he'll stop in due in time!!!

I agree with Julie Y - if he takes them off, he has to put them back on. My little guy still does it at times too, and if we're at home, I'll let him run naked. It's good for their bums to get some air. But we're just starting to go on public toilets, I'm right there with him, so pants off isn't a big issues yet in public.

It will pass, but make a memory before it does!

My 3 yr old son also wants to take off his clothes to go potty. What we do is have a steadfast rule that in public places, the pants/undies stay around the ankles. At home, he always has the option of taking everything off (but he is required then to put it back on himself). When we are at a friend or relative's house, he knows to ask me what the protocol is for that house. This works well for us. I do occasionally have to have him forgo undressing at home if we are in a hurry, but usually, I just try to be relaxed about it at home, and then he never puts up a fuss about following the rule when we're out and about. I don't know if it's a control thing or if he feels too restricted or trapped by his clothes or what, but I just chose not to make a huge deal about it, and now he forgets about taking his clothes off at home about 1/2 the time anyway.

My daughter did that too when potty training. I dont have great advice as I tried to show her many times that I kept my pants on and she could too, eventually she grew out of it. I think part of her issue was that she didnt want to get her pants wet when she was scooting off the seat to stand and wipe so I taught her how to wipe while sitting...although she still stands to wipe more often...but thats a separate concern than with a boy. Its funny the little qwricks they have!

My son did that, too. I think he did it because he couldn't sit on the seat well with his clothes around his ankles. Now that he is a little older and more confident on the toilet, he doesn't take them off. It's a phase. Best of luck!