Peeing everywhere issue

[snlmama]

I'm pretty sure this is fairly common, if not "age appropriate," but annoying/frustrating behavior for my nearly 3 year old (he'll be 3 the end of June). My older ds was not potty trained until he was nearly 4 and was in diapers at this age and did this also. So, while i know it's normal at this age (and older ds' preschool teacher told me it was typical of 2-3 year old boys - I guess ds #1 was a bit older when he started in on this, but ds #2 tends to hit "phases" earlier than his bro. did).
Anyway, L has been potty trained for about 8 months now. Rarely has accidents for most of that time - usually only if we are somewhere and I can't get him to a potty in 10-15 min. for some reason or we're w/ a bunch of people and he tells an older child instead of me that he needs to pee and the other child doesn't understand he means "take me to a potty -now." ;)
So, the past week or so, he's been peeing in all kinds of inappropriate places. Like, this morning I was getting dressed and he was playing w/ my ds and nieces on the futon in the office (where my bro and sil slept last night - visiting from out of town) and peed on the bed. Yesterday it was on the chair in the family room when I stepped away for a minute to get something out of the oven. It wasn't an accident by any way of looking at it. I came back in the room and he was sitting facing the back of the chair w/ his pants pulled down aiming at the back of the chair. We've also had a lot of running outside to pee instead of in the toilet. :hissyfit :banghead
Anyway, I'm looking for ideas on how to handle it. What I've been doing w/ some success is not letting him out of my sight and grabbing him and reminding him where we pee everytime he reaches for his pants. He thinks it's funny, no matter how I react. What I have been doing is reminding him that pee goes in the potty, not on the chair, the floor, the patio or the bed, taking him to the restroom to see if he has any left to put in the potty, then having him watch or help me clean up, depending on where it was and how feasible it is for him to help at that time. But, it seems to be happening at least once a day.
Any other thoughts on how you have handled this or how you would/do?

[ArmsOfLove]

One thing I did like on one of the nanny shows was having the older brother help work with the younger to encourage him to use the potty. sometimes children get fears about the toilet so going with brother can help overcome that. I do think it's great that you are taking the responsibility to catch him when you can and get him to the toilet. When ds was potty training and would have accidents or not so much accidents ;) I would clean up twice in a day and then he was back in diapers. Some people don't want to take that route, but for me it was the easiest one. I didn't mind doing the wash as much as I minded cleaning up pee :td One woman I know (was it here?) put a bucket by the toilet and said, "Your choice is in the toilet or in the bucket." The child never pee'd outside the toilet again. I think children this age are looking for clear boundaries and when they have them they don't challenge them as much as a 2yo might ;) The problem is finding a clear boundary that is both kind and firm. I know I would use my very firm voice and tell him that pee is for in the potty and not for anywhere else--I'd be emphatic--and he'd be helping clean up. hth

[snlmama]

I would clean up twice in a day and then he was back in diapers.

Well, he's only doing it about once a day, so I guess he's w/in his limits. :banghead Like he read on here and said "ooooh, I can do it once a day and get away w/ it." :D With my older ds, he was still in diapers when we went thru this so I actually duct taped them onto him for awhile until it stopped. And, I realized after reading this that I should have added that the time in the futon was right after he got up and still in his nighttime diaper (which I told him he has to wear until he stops drinking milk right before bed - usually no accidents in those either). :banghead <using that icon b/c it's how I feel all the time now>

Another question about this, it makes sense to me if he was newly potty trained or just training, but since he's been potty trained for nearly a year now it seems punitive. I know it's a "logical consequence" of sorts, but aren't you not supposed to use those until they are older? I wouldn't think he'd "get it." B/c honestly I'm wondering if it's punitive to tell him if it doesn't stop *period* - maybe one strike a day and he's out of undies. But is that punitive or unfair at his age? :think

[Irene]

Some people don't want to take that route, but for me it was the easiest one.

my only question with this is if the child can get their pants down, they would still be able to take their diaper down too, and then you would still be cleaning messes?

[ArmsOfLove]

Another question about this, it makes sense to me if he was newly potty trained or just training, but since he's been potty trained for nearly a year now it seems punitive. I know it's a "logical consequence" of sorts, but aren't you not supposed to use those until they are older? I wouldn't think he'd "get it." B/c honestly I'm wondering if it's punitive to tell him if it doesn't stop *period* - maybe one strike a day and he's out of undies. But is that punitive or unfair at his age? I never looked at it as a consequence :shrug I consider it what I'm willing to do. I'm willing to clean up two times and no more ;)

One thought I had was that after waking is an automatic trip to the bathroom around here ;) It's part of the wakeup routine. If he was still half asleep he might not have realized what he was doing.

I guess my older kids were not the types to take off their diapers if I put them into them :shrug My third would do it--but that's what he did when he demanded to use the potty ;)