Okay, so I need some serious advice. My 4 year old daughter is really struggling. She has been potty trained for a year now, but I use that term lightly. Every time she has to go, she wets about 1 tsp.-1 Tbls. in her underwear/pants first. Then goes on the toilet. Usually it's on her way to the bathroom she lets the first "dribble" out. We have checked constipation issues, and this does not seem to be the issue. I feel she is just waiting too long to go. Once she gets her pants wet, she no longer gets another pair of pants for the day. Being the winter months I was hoping this natural consequence would sink in, but it's not. We've gone up to 7 pairs of pants in a day! Help!! Should I still be reminding her at this age to go to the bathroom, or does she need to figure this out on her own. She can't be doing this if she wants to go to school this next year. Any advice on helping her?
Ous son had this problem and we talked to the pediatrician who prescribed a nasal spray. I do not recall the name of it but your pediatrician should be able to help you with it. Periodically, we would stop the nasal spray to see if he could maintain on his own and eventually he did. Hope this helps, S.
Me: mom of 4, oldest 14 yr old girl who did that until age 5. It got less and less, but she was too busy enjoying life to be bothered. We changed from the exact routine you are using to letting her change her wet undies herself each time. No yelling, etc. but the rare "I will be so sad if you get sent home from school because you won't remember to use the potty" we also got her to the potty every 2hrs during the day as just a matter of what you have to do if you cannot stay dry yet. It worked better, not perfect and one day in kindergarten she had an accident. Of course that was the last one ever! I bet she going through middle child syndrome a teeny bit too, they can't decide where they fit in. Am I the baby or the big kid? All in all, it will pass. My daughter is gifted, straight A's and going on to an excellent college prep school next year. My favortite pediatrician once told me, "ask yourself this, will they still be doing this in college?" helps with the perspective a bit!
My daughter goes through periods when she does this too and she's six. I can see her standing there looking like she's about to wet her pants and can't figure out for the life of me why she does this. Last time I told her she couldn't have ice cream money for school if I caught her with wet pants and it seemed to work, where just talking to her didn't. Maybe you could try a reward for staying dry?
Hi Diana-
I have had this exact problem (& from time to time still do) with my 3 1/2 year old in Nov. He knows full well how to go potty & has since 2 years old but then was having little "accidents. After explaing to my son to "Go right away" a million times, we finally resorted to taking every single truck he has and putting them up high where he could see them but not get them. Then he had to earn them back. Each time he kept his pants dry & clean, he could pick a truck to get down. Worked like a charm for us and I use this technique for lots of things b/c it was so effective. Hope this helps.
As a child had the same problem. I probably did this until I was about 8 or 9. I would get so wrapped up in what I was doing that I would just wait way to long and wouldn't always make it on time. Sometimes I would get in there on time but wasn't able to get my pants unbuttoned. First off punishing didn't work. It just made it worse I would just try to hide it. It didn't matter that I had started school because I would just tie a jacket or a sweatshirt around my waist. It actually got a little worse in school because you can't always use the restroom whenever you want because you have to wait for permission. My mom started asking me if I had to go and I would get to thinking about it and I would go. Ask her whenever you are on the way for yourselves and she will probably start being more conscious of it. I started thinking more about it when someone would ask. My mom talked to the teacher about it as well and she would ask and I didn't have anymore problems. There are so many better things you can be doing and using the restroom can be a hassle. As much as you want her to be independent you will probably have to remind her now and then so she starts thinking about it and realizes that the toys she was just playing with are still there and she isn't missing anything!
Good Luck
B. M.
I suggest you set a timer and have her go to the bathroom every time it goes off, whether she thinks she needs to or not. This should get her in the habit of not waiting so long. She isn't too old to keep reminding, especially if she is having issues. Good luck.
