Potty training/Nighttime issues

[Anonymous]

My three year old son has just started wearing underwear to school and for most of the day. He's been doing remarkably well. Two issue though: I've heard about the issues with pooping...he's not doing that in the potty and seems to be avoiding doing it at all. We're working on that. What I hadn't heard about is that he gets really upset when he needs to pee now including at night. Last night he woke up each time he peed in his pull-up hysterical and wanting to be changed. It happened about 5 times and he ended up being awake half the night. He's been getting hysterical like that when we're out too (he's ok at home and at school). He's actually shrieking. He seems to be equating peeing or pooping in the pull-up with doing it in his underwear...sort of makes sense but I wasn't expecting the night time issues.

[Anonymous]

Same problem just started w/DS. Any BTDT advice out there? Is it the pullup vs underwear sensation? Do we wake him up early in the am to pee? (Someone suggested that, but sounds kind of extreme).

[Anonymous]

I'd actually take advantage of that and work with him. Remind him each night that if he needs to go, to call loudly to you 'mommy i need to go potty!' and you will get him. Get up and run! Or if he goes to bed at 7:30pm and you go at 11pm, then wake him to go potty then. Don't forget to praise him for staying dry (if he is dry). I always believed praising for staying dry worked better than praising just for going potty. Ideally, you do both.

I think it's a good sign that he doesn't want to wet his pants, no matter what kind of pants they are. So I would praise him and encourage him in that.