Potty question

[jls~Kain~Drake]

My oldest...2.5yo...started pl'ing in April. All of the sudden, he wanted to use the potty...and he'd stay dry and tell us when he needed to go. It only lasted a couple of days and then he was staying dry..but only going when I physically put him on the potty...then he just stopped staying dry altogether and wet himself all the time. I let it go and then all of the sudden..in July (i think) he decided to pick it up again..doing much better this time...completely self-led (tells me when he needs to go or just goes by himself)...completely day & night 'learned' (for almost 2 months now...accident free 99% of the time). For some reason...the past 2 days or so...he's 'pinching' himself a lot...A LOT...like he has to go and doesn't want to...and it's all the time...sometimes he DOES have to go badly and doesn't want to go...but sometimes it might be right after he went and pee'd so I know he doesn't have to go. I asked if his penis hurt (thinking like burning/infection) and he said no. But he is NOT wanting to go to the potty. I think he's holding it as long as he possibly can...and if I'm preoccupied (like today, laying the baby down for a nap) then he just wets himself. He knows it's wrong and he knows that he should go to the potty....I'm kind of lost? If I can tell he needs to go and it's been awhile, then I'll take him in there...but he argues with me that he doesn't need to go (which I know to be false). Sometimes it seems like he doesn't want to because of discomfort (the pinching), but sometimes it seems like it's just because he's too 'busy'.

What's going on? Any suggestions? Either of what's going on with him or what I can do.

[Leininger27]

My ds is almost 2 1/2 y.o. and has been completely potty trained since 20 months. He does the same thing. It is like he doesn't want to go because he is busy playing or doing something. I think he feels like he is missing out on something by going to the bathroom.

In those instances I will not ask him if he needs to go to the bathroom.. instead I will tell him "Let's go potty and then we can do this...." He is much more willing to go to the bathroom and no fighting him to go.

My ds on the otherhand he won't go potty in his pants if I am busy, but he will do the potty dance until I take him.

[jls~Kain~Drake]

It's so frustrating! There's got to be a reason why he's doing this - I just wish he could verbalize what he's thinking/feeling. I mean, his language is wonderful..but this problem is a mystery to me.

And he's not wetting himself like...with the purpose of wetting himself..kwim? It's like his bladder has reached maximum capacity and he refuses to go to the potty, so he explodes. Obviously he's doing this on purpose, but it's not so that his pants get wet...kwim? It's like the wet pants are a side effect of desired action (not going to the potty).