Underwear Wetting: How to Get Almost 3-Year-old Boy to Recognize Underwear

Great advice so far! I did not potty train my son until he was 3 yrs. 3mo. old. I knew I needed to get on the ball and take the time to potty train him when he was staying dry in his pull up at night! I did 3 days of naked then that was it. Officially no more pull ups. And I was given the advice of very loose or boxer underwear. I actually used the shorts to his Pj's for a week and that worked for us, potty training done! Although, he was also very ready. Every child is different and will eventually "get it"!! As much as you'd like to get him preschool be prepared to put it off for a bit! Do try looser underwear to see if you get better results! Best of luck!! Hang in there!

C.,
This sounds NORMAL to me.

My three year old also must be finished potty training by September and we are still having a bit of trouble with him pulling his own pants down. Up he's fine with and he knows WHEN to get me, before it's too late, but if he tries on his own the pants don't come down fast enough an accident happens and he then goes back to insisting he needs help. This is also a boy who dresses himself, though so slowly I sometimes gently rush him along so we won't be late, ok, later.

This takes time. I'd recommend no pull ups. The idea that he COULD go in them confused my son and delayed the run for the potty. He kept asking "Am I wearing my underwear or my pull ups? I can go in my Pull Ups right?"

Also underpants should be on him at all times now. Nude is fun and comfortable and easy for him. Wet or soiled underpants have to be taken off and laundered and he needs to be cleaned and new ones put back on. It's just the next step. Be consistent with changing his pants and encourage him to help.

We actually moved on to the rewards program. He got the hand of it in THREE days, several small 99 cent store rewards later we have only the occasional wet accident, we drive over an hour daily and some days, as soon as he stands up and stretches he pees.

We are so close! And so are you! Good luck!

Hi C.,

Same thing happens to my son, he is 2 1/2 yrs. and has been potty trained for about 4 months. But everytime we put his "CARS" briefs on he almost always has an accident! I figured he is getting confused because they are tight like a diaper. Easy fix was to just buy boxers, problem solved.

Hi
Are you switching back and forth between diapers and underwear? If so, that is too confusing for the child. YOu have to get rid of all diapers and ONLY have underwear. You could also try setting a timer, and having him try to go potty every hour. Reward dry days with stickers, toys, praise etc
Good luck

HI C., I think you just need to keep working on it. As far as pulling pants up and down, go with him into the bathroom and assist him by saying " Pull pants up"- and help him to pull them up or down if you need to, gradually fading the physical assistance. I would only continue to diaper him at bed times, extra long car rides ( if you won't be able to stop to take him to the bathroom), that sort of thing. Also try just putting him in underwear at home now and praise him when he continues to go potty. I would try not to have too tight of underwear, so he can still sense when he needs to go to the bathroom. I wouldn't use pullups at all ( but I've always been opposed to them). I don't think he'll be comfortable in wet underwear unless it's the super thick type of underwear and he only "dribbles" a little. Being in sopped underwear just isn't comfortable at all.

C.,
How you sound like a very active person. You might have to keep in mind that when your son has underwear on you are going to have to remind him to go to the bathroom. The way I handle my sons underwear issue was first of all a big to do over throwing away the diapers and pull ups. Only using underwear even at night. This again meant that I had to do set my alarm at night to wake us both up. My son stop peeing in his underwear right away but the poop that he try to do a couple of time. I stop that by showing him that I was throwing his favorite underwear away. That had to happen twice and it was over. Really it is just a little extra work on us.

Good luck from a 30 plus mom:)

Perhaps he's just not ready yet. My son wasn't ready until he was 3.5 years old. My daughter, basically, trained herself at 2.5 years. Everyone is different.
I realize you have the pressure of daycare looming over you, but these things can't be forced.
I'd recommend not putting pull-ups on him. I believe they're just a marketing/money-maker. This way he can distinguish between underwear and diaper.
good luck

Stop letting him run around nude so he can experience more discomfort from wet underwear.

Definitely get rid of all pull ups. They confuse the child because they are meant to be peed in, underwear are not. Once he is just wearing underwear all the time he'll feel the difference. The best advice I got from a friend when I started potty training my 2 1/2 year old was to get rid of diapers all together and don't go back. My son wears a diaper at bed time still though and knows that is the only time he wears one.

Good luck.

Hello, All I can say is keep up the good work, and have lots of patience. He is getting it and it will be over soon.
Good luck with your precious son.
K. K.