Nighttime (potty) training?

[Dulcinea]

That's the last hurdle! My 4-year-old is very reliable during the day, but I want to stop buying pullups for her for nighttime! Any suggestions?

[SW FL Dem]

1. Patience

My son had this problem and the pediatrician told me there was little I could do (other than limiting liquids before bedtime). Some kids are deep sleepers and others have immature bladders. It really isn't their fault. Some people think that using Pullups makes the situation worse since the kids never feel wet. I know you can buy a pad with an alarm that will go off and wake your kid up when it feels any moisture. A friend of mine used it with some success. I opted to just wait for my son to outgrow it. Your daughter is one of many. I don't remember the statistics but I know there are a significant number of kids, even up to the age of 8-10 (or older)that still have occasional nighttime accidents. You can buy Good Nites (pullups for big kids) that go up to 125 pounds.

http://www.goodnites.com/na/productinfo/index.asp

[wildeyed]

2. I thought maybe my daughter was just used to the pullups

and if I took them off, she would learn to hold it after a couple of accidents. She wet herself every night for a week and didn't wake up once. I put the pullups back on.

Recently she has become motivated to be dry at night herself. She refuses any liquid before bed, and always goes potty. Some mornings her pullup is dry, others, not, but she is improving. I will try a few night sans pullups soon. Her brother has been sick, so not this week, but maybe after we get caught up on our rest.

[SW FL Dem]

3. I wish you the best. It sounds like you are doing the right thing

Let her try to be dry, but if she fails, wait for a while. The most important thing is not to let her think there is anything wrong with her because she isn't dry. It's been a while since I had to deal with this. I think the most important advice I got was to relax and realize that even at age 7-8, 10-20 percent of kids still have occasional accidents and it isn't their fault. It will happen, hopefully sooner rather than later.

My nephew still has occasional problems and he is 12. His mom was freaking out until I told her that a history of enuresis (bedwetting) after age 12 is an automatic disqualification for the draft.

[wildeyed]

4. It is more peer pressure than anything.

She knows I want her to be dry, but I haven't made a huge fuss about it. But many of her preschool friends are dry, and she would like ot be, too.

Now the grandmothers, on the other had, are appalled that I haven't laid down the law about the nighttime potty routine. I ask them, "what should I do? She doesn't wake up. The pediatrician says it is normal." But it is like they can't hear me, or process the idea that there are changes in parenting theory based on research since they raised children. :eyes:

[SW FL Dem]

5. The website I listed in an earlier post has a section for kids

and deals with the self esteem and peer pressure issues. I wish you luck with the grandmothers, been there done that with my MIL who refused to childproof her house (she didn't do it for her kids so why should she do it for mine). Hopefully, they won't say anything to your daughter to make her feel bad about this. She is only 4 for goodness sake. The absolute worst thing they can do is make her feel ashamed about a medical condition.

[SoCalDem]

6. Get thee to a fabric store..

They sell (very cheaply) a material that is flannel sheeting with a rubberized center. It's machine washable/dryable..

nighttime wetting is more an issue of bedding. Make her bed normally, and then just place a cut piece of this stuff on the top.. Don't even need to tuck it in.. It's pretty substantial.

Remove the heavy blanket/spread.. Just give her a sheet and a thermal-lightweright (easy to wash) blanket..Don;t tuck them in.. Sometimes little kid get feet tangled in covers and can't spring out of bed easily.. let her sleep in just undies and a tee shirt..

Make it EASY for her..and if she wets her bed, all you have to do is remove the rubberized piece of fabric and replace it with a new one....You migth even put an empty basket for HER to do that herself. Maybe if she feels as if she can control making her bed dry again, she might feel better about herself.

[mzmolly]

7. The next time you visit the supermarket, check the sizes on the Goodnights

;)

You'll realize your not alone, and neither is your child. I would wait until she is dry in the am, and then give undies a whirl.

Good luck!

[Ms. Toad]

8. Don't worry about it.

My daughter had occasional accidents until she was around 9. She was just a VERY sound sleeper - still is. She's a healthy, well adjusted fifteen year old now.

Just manage the bedding (good suggestions earlier in the thread). Keep a plastic sheet on the bed under the bedding - a washable blanket between the plastic sheet and the regular sheet will make it more comfortable (or at least more comfortable to your adult mind - kids don't seem to mind sleeping that close to plastic). It will eventually resolve itself. Tell grandparents to mind their own business - or ignore them (I know - easier said than done).

At 4, my daughter was not only wetting herself, but soiling herself too - so it could be worse! (She has ulcerative colitis - nighttime soiling is a classic symptom even though her GP was completely ignorant of its significance. Once she was diagnosed and began treatment just before her 5th birthday the soiling problem resolved, but the occasional wetting continued for a few more years.)

Good Luck!