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My wife and I are at odds over this. Can some people post to see how you feel about it? Thanks.
My son is almost 4 yrs old (end of Aug). He does a real good job during the day of using the toilet, but at night most of the time he doesn't seem to be able to wake up and get to the toilet. I know at this age this is a common occurence.
What I think we should do and have done for the past 3 days is this: He goes to bed at 7 or 7:30 most of the time. My wife and I go to bed around 10:30 or 11. We wake him up and take him to the toilet before we go to sleep. The past 3 nights we have been accident free. My wife doesn't like this because he tends to be somewhat asleep still and we have to mostly carry him to the toilet.
My wife thinks we should just let him ride out the accidents so he learns to get up on his own.
Which do you think is the best way?
I will say that the reason I want to do the first way is because the Accidents seem to really distrub his sleep and he isn't a great sleeper to begin with. Anytime there is an accident he is usually up for 30 to 45 mins in the night. I also don't really think that letting himself wet the bed is the best way to teach him to get up and use the toilet.
I think the Mrs Is correct on this one...I have a just turned 7 year old...girl.
And she too would still have the occasional accident until she was 5. My ped is totally against those beeper alarm thingies, medication to stop urine production (causes liver and kidney issues)...and the such.
She gave me this book to read then..and I still have it. (saving it for little sister and the bun in the oven as we speak!)
Maybe check it out at the library or buy it used. There are some honestly really really really good tips..I read it with my daughter and honestly it helped immensly.
I agree with your wife too. If the child doesn't wake up and go on his own, all you are doing is getting a dry bed. He isn't learning anything.
Is he taking a short nap in the afternoon? Maybe a nap and a later bedtime would help too.
My experience with this is from my own kids and those of friends and relative. We agree on one thing. When he's old enough, he will stop. In the meantime, don't let him have liquids after 5:00pm.
The kid is only 4 totally normal for him to not wake up dry! I suggest you buy pull ups or good nights and let the kid sleep...eventually he will wake on his own to go and you won't have a wet bed to deal with. Like anything else some kids develop differently than others, 4 is not so old that I think you need to do anything other then make him go before he gets in bed and put a pull up on him.
The only thing I would check into if I was you is to have him evaluated by an ENT and possibly suggest a sleep study. If the child has obstructive sleep apnea he will be more prone to bed wetting. I only say this because you describe him as a poor sleeper in general and this could be the reason for that. But other than that I'd wait it out with pull ups on. Good luck!
Also my ped told me that sugar (had no idea)...causes alot of urine production...and also the whole no drinking liquids after I think she said 7 (or two hours before bed...unless its just a sip of water type of thing).
I dont know if this is true or not..but I have heard to some of the moms I hang out with, that boys take a tad longer that girls..because quite frankly..mom can teach girls how to go, whereas with boys...dad needs to get involved with the "mechanics" on how to go potty. LOL.
I am not sure if that is true and I have no first hand experience with boys...its just what I have heard.
Take heart..dont make him feel bad..invest in some matress waterproof pads...it does get better...we promise.
bls5555, he is too young to worry right now. Bet wetting is normal. My son (mind you he is ADHD) didn't stop wetting the bed until he was 5. It didn't matter if he didn't drink after 5pm, thats just what he did.
My older and younger boys wet the bed once or twice and that was it. I would not be waking him up to go, you are just conditioning him to only go when you come and get him. If he is not really waking up on his own he may not even remember you doing that so it isn't teaching him anything, just making it easier on you.
As for him not being able to get back to sleep, that is part of the joy of parenting! My advice would be to put him in pull ups and get a rubber sheet. Waking up in a puddle of pee may become old quickly to him. You can also set up a pee chart. Every time he goes on his own from late afternoon to early morning he gets points that can be traded for rewards the next morning.
I still say he is too young for you to worry and want to fix quickly.
The kid is only 4 totally normal for him to not wake up dry! I suggest you buy pull ups or good nights and let the kid sleep...eventually he will wake on his own to go and you won't have a wet bed to deal with. Like anything else some kids develop differently than others, 4 is not so old that I think you need to do anything other then make him go before he gets in bed and put a pull up on him.
The only thing I would check into if I was you is to have him evaluated by an ENT and possibly suggest a sleep study. If the child has obstructive sleep apnea he will be more prone to bed wetting. I only say this because you describe him as a poor sleeper in general and this could be the reason for that. But other than that I'd wait it out with pull ups on. Good luck!
I agree with irishmom and the others who suggested pull-ups. Pull-ups and patience.
I wet the bed until I was 8 years old. I wish they had pull ups back then. Just get them. And don't do charts with points. Trust me, not wetting the bed would have been prize enough. I would have woken and gone pee if I could. I would even dream that I had gotten out of bed, walked down the hall, opened the toilet cover, sit down, and start peeing.... only to realize half way through I was still in bed.
Go to the baby store, like baby's are us. They sell these really neat crib pads that can be put on under the sheet (and aren't rubber). I had several of them for our son. Put one under the sheet and even one top. The one on top can quickly be removed if the accident is beyond the help of the pull up.
And please, do everything in your power to not draw a lot of attention to it. It is embarrassing by itself. and 4 is still young to have trained the bladder.
Shelly
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