Potty trained and reverting!!

[simplyso]

I am seriously going to go crazy! I have a 3 year old about to turn 4, and not being biased, he is extremely smart. He has been speaking very well since 10 months old, his memory is precise and he can remember exact details about the most obscure memories and associates people with details that would blow you away.At 1 and a half, he kept begging me to potty train him, and I was horrified to do the whole process because I envisioned all the messes that come along with it, and it stressed me out completely! So I kept putting it off. Finally just before he was 2...he just decided enough with the diaper and potty trained himself! Threw it in the garbage and pee'd in the toilet and BM's in the toilet. Never a problem! I was pregnant at the time, and I was worried things would be disrupted and his potty training would go out the window with the new baby, and all sorts of other big changes that were going on in that time period. But, he was elated to have a baby brother and he embraced him and almost 2 years later has not shown signs of jealousy and is outstanding with baby brother! With all that being said, out of the blue, and NO changes going on, he has started to pee all over his carpet in his room. I KNOW he knows better, HE knows he knows better, esp since he closes the door to do it and does it in the corner that you can't see unless you walk over to it. I have tried EVERYTHING! I have remained calm, and explain to him how that is not okay. I have screamed and yelled and sent him to time out. I have told him that he can't wear underwear anymore until he learns to pee ONLY in the toilet( which slightly worked, because that was not an option for him, but then he removes it anyway.  I have tried to give him wonderful loving attention in case he's been feeling anxious about something, and it's helped him calm down a little every now and again, but I keep finding pee puddles in his room at all different times of the day and I can't take it anymore! And also around the same time, because he isn't night/sleep potty trained<---which I don't know how to do that...I put a pull-up on him if he piddles at all. And after  he potty trained himself, he never pooped in a diaper again. Until now. EVERYTIME I put a diaper on him he poops. No matter what. I can ask him a million times before hand if he needs to and he says no, and as soon as I close his door, he poops. Between these 2 things on top of him being a child needing constant engagement or he will start to destroy things, I am kind of losing my mind. Like I said, he is a smart kid, he knows better, and I feel like he is just working me. PLEASE help!!! 

[Anandamama]

That does sound frustrating. Have you tried a rewards system?  I am not into rewards in general, but sometimes in a (somewhat) emergency situation I've tried it.  What does he really value? If it's sweets he could get a small sweets reward every time he uses the potty. Or he could have a chart and everytime he uses the potty he gets a sticker on it. After he gets a certain # of stickers on the chart he gets a reward like a special excursion that he would love.  Again, I am not into the whole rewards/punishment mode but sometimes a system like this can change a very frustrating situation into something more like a fun game. It's worth it to change the dynamic into something positive to look forward to rather than just endless scolding and frustration!  After awhile the behavior just turns into habit and the reward is no longer needed. Good luck!

[simplyso]

Thank you so much, that is definitely something that might help...I worry that something happened or is frustrating him and he isn't telling me and so he's acting out this way. But, if I keep getting angry with him, most likely he won't feel like he can tell me why he does it.  At this point, it's obvious that nothing I am doing is helping so that is a great suggestion that I wouldn't have thought of. Thank you again, and I will have to update with progress!