Potty Training - Gainesville, MO

My doctor told me that some kids aren't completely trained until 6 yrs of age. My 4 yr old boy is still having trouble pooping in the potty (we have constipation issues) and wakes up wet every morning (he wears a pull-up). My doctor says that sometimes they sleep so soundly that they don't wake up when they need to go. I've decided to not worry about it too much until he's older, although I'd like to solve the pooping issue shortly! I don't know if what I said helps, but maybe knowing you're not alone will!

I have a 7 year old that still wets at night. After I saw a few doctors and they said she will grow out of it, I decided to research it. You would be amazed on how common the problem is and they do eventually grow out of it. The typical things to help are no drinking 2 hours before bed and going to the bathroom right before bed also. I know the nite time pull- ups are expensive if you get the name brand, but you can find store brands that are half the price. My daughter is responsible for taking them off and diposing of them in the mornings. She doesn't have any hang ups about it. She even went to a sleep over and one girl made fun of her. She wasn't embarressed, just irritated with the girl. All the rest of the girls didn't think it was a big deal.

All kids are different. They develop differently. Some kids still wet the bed at eight or nine years old. I definitely would not worry.

K.

Who knows? Maybe nothing. Until their little muscles are ready to make it through the night, or send the signal to the brain and wake them, it happens.

My oldest JUST started staying dry through the night and she is almost 9. My son has been dry through the night since he was 3. When I have asked our pediatrician about it, he told me not to worry about it and so I chose not to. I opted NOT to wake her during the night and take her to the bathroom, nor did I use the alarm system that I purchased and intended to use. My pediatrician said the alarm would be of little help unless the child was motivated. She was definitely not motivated. There is medication out there, but since it works out for many at an older age, I opted not too. Plus, I am not big on meds for situations that are inconvenient.

My daughter is a very sound sleeper and I think that was part of the problem. She even asked the other day why all of a sudden she doesn't need a pullup at night. My answer was simply that every child is different and her body chose sleep over getting up to go to the bathroom. My advice would be to put the pullups on and treat it like no big deal. Just my 2 cents.

Hi A.,
My son is going to be 9 next month and he STILL has problems at night. He has to wear pull ups. He is sooo upset by this. He can't go to overnights with his cousins, friends etc. He is doing it a lot less, but still has to wear protection. I am told he will grow out of it. I have heard many stories and I think it is a matter of waiting. He sleeps so deeply he doesn't wake up to go to the bathroom. My 7yr old girl wakes up and goes and she never has accidents. He also is taller than most and I think his bladder hasn't caught up with him. Talk to your dr about medication. I am about to do the same.
J.

Good luck! My two girls, ages 4 and soon-to-be 8, consistantly wet their beds. Patience is the key. However, if you are able to make an investment and save the Goodnites for sleepovers and special events, you may want to consider buying some special bedding. I found a website that specializes in bedwetting supplies. With the right bedding, I don't have to keep buying the pull-ups and I don't have to do laundry every single day! I'm not sure if I can post the websites where I found my bed and mind saving materials...target.com and bedwettingstore.com
There are lots of resource materials on the internet if you have the time to look through them.

You did not say whether they were boys or girls...so my guess would be the two older ones are boys and the younger a girl. Doesn't really matter, just wondering if I am correct. Every child develops at a different rate, and their bladder size and habits can be very different. Don't give them juice or soda pop for dinner, don't let them drink after 7:00pm and be sure they go to the bathroom just before they go to bed, you may be able to figure out if they are ready to be trained at night. some children just sleep very deep and do not realize they need to go. Give them some time to develop. When they get older you can always try the body alarms. It will wake them up as they start to pee. My friend's son and my niece both used these at age 8, and 10. It helped them both to learn to get up at night. Some children never need to get up and go at night, and other children do.... It is all in how their bodies are made... good luck!!!

maybe have your kids checked for diabetes....my son, who was 7 at the time was pottying the bed every night...i got so frustrated. Thought he had a bladder infection, found out, he has Type 1 Diabetes. You can have a simple urine test run at your doctor's office and tell if they are spilling sugar into their urine. If that's ok, and I pray that it is......I had to cut out drinks after 8 pm for my boys so there would be no accidents!

All children are different. Them peeing the bed aren't anything unusual. I've seen children that had accidents until 3rd grade. Some children just have a hard time holding their bladder, and some children have small bladders so they can't hold much. A few hours before bedtime try not to let me have any fluids tell them they are shut off after a specific time on fluids, this should help.

Hi A.,

I am a stay at home mother of 3 also. Are the 5 and 4 year olds boys or girls? I've heard some people say boys are harder to potty train. And that many children can still wet the bed at 5.
My 5 year old son also pees the bed at night. He did good for awhile but then he started having the accidents again. So we put him in "goodnights" (night-time pullups) to avoid the constant washing of the bedding. On the other hand, my 3 1/2 year old daughter has no day or nighttime accidents. She wasn't fully potty-trained until she was 3 but once she got it we didn't have many issues. We had her sleeping in pullups for awhile just in case but eventually we didn't see the need anymore. At first we would compare our son to our daughter, hoping if he saw his little sister could do it that would motivate him. But at the same time, we didn't want to humiliate him either. So we don't make a big deal anymore about it, I figure eventually he'll grow out of it. I think focusing on it and making it a "big deal" doesn't really help. So we're just not discussing it anymore.
So my advice is to not stress over it- life is too short. Just put them in the night time pullups to save yourself all the work the next day. And know that soon it will pass and you'll have other things to worry about! Maybe let them see you praising the 2 yr old sometimes- but not too much. You don't want to cause jealousy issues either. Focus on what you love about them, what makes them unique and soon the negatives won't seem to matter.

Good luck!
K.

Were you or your husband bed wetters? It is hereditary. My 9 year old boy has only been dry at night for about a year. We bought an alarm device we found on line that went off when he started to go. It took about a month to cure him but he's been dry ever since. We also have a 5 year old boy that has never had a bed wetting problem. I was a bed wetter so I figure he got it from me. The problem is they sleep so hard that their brain doesn't get that "get up and go" signal they just keep on sleeping. The device teaches the brain to recognize the signal.
Hope this helps a little. M. G

I understand how frusterating this is. I am in a similar situation. I talked to my doctor, and she really helped reassure me. Kids all mature at different ages / stages, and it is important that we let that happen. My doctor reassured me that it is normal for some kids to take longer to potty train at night as some are heavier sleepers compared to others. (She said it can take up to 8-10 years old to be potty trained at night) In my situation I found this very true. I killed myself last summer, waking my daughter up 4+ times a night to get her to the potty. It did not really change anything. There is a medication they can take before bed, if you are at that point. I looked into it, but my daughter is only 5 years old and we decided to stick with the pullups for now. Hang in there. Just know, it is not you and (most likely) nothing is "wrong" with your kids. (If you have seen your doctor) Good luck!

My 4 year old just seems to have grasped the thought. I read some books awhile ago and they said that it can sometimes take awhile for night time.
I guess I'd pick my battles for now. Maybe a goal for not peeing at night to help them out. Especially if you have a 5 and 4 year old. The competition for more stickers on a chart or whatever may help.
When my 4 year old had issues, we set a chart (about 8) and when they were filled I took her to the library to pick out a movie. She thought it was the best and I loved it because it was free!

Hi A. my nephew and some other kids I know started doing that no more drinks after six because they are old enough to get their own drinks and you may not realize what they are drinking plus come to find out soda makes my nephew have accidents I heard the bubbles do something I found it in a web site somewhere so he does not get to much pop plus he goes to the bathroom of course before he goes to bed and when I go to bed I get him up to go again and that seems to work good luck

My daughter wet at night when she first potty trained. We decided as a family that she wouldn't drink for two hours before bed. Also, at 2 am I went in and took her to the bathroom. This idea was suggested by my Pediatrician. He said never use pull ups. After about a month, I stopped waking her up and now she wakes up herself from a deep sleep to go. I have to get up about 2 or 3 nights per week to take her but I am happy to do it.

Even though they are only 4 and 5 their bladders are still week. Try not giving them anything to drink 1 to 2 hours before bedtime and make them "try" to potty right before bed. If you are already doing that, then "goodnights" are a wonderful thing. My nephew wore them at night until he was almost 10. It is a hereditary thing, his uncle was the same way as a boy. If you have to, wake them up halfway thru the night and have them potty. A friend does that and it is helping her son. He is starting to realize the feeling and gets up on his own sometimes. Good luck and congrats, 4 is a housefull. Enjoy them.