My child wets his pants on purpose. Why?

You ask your child if they need to go to the bathroom. Your child says no. And then wets their pants. Why? 

As they learn to use the potty, children gradually get better at sensing when they need to go. It goes like this: first, they realize it after the fact (I peed or pooped), then while it’s happening (hey, I’m peeing or pooping), and finally before it happens (I need to pee or poop). They’ll learn to sense this and recognize it in time. Your child needs your help with that.  If you ask your child if they need to go, they probably don’t actually feel it yet at that moment. So that’s not lying—they genuinely don’t feel it.

But your child might not want to stop playing. It helps to tell your child that they can take a toy with them to the potty or toilet. Or that they can go right back to playing as soon as they’re done. Many children are afraid that playtime will be over if they have to go to the potty or toilet. That’s why they say they don’t need to go.