We have three boys ages 6, 4, and 2. They share the same room. Our 6 year old just recently stopped wearing pull ups at night. We told him that when he was dry 5 nights in a row, that he could wear underwear to bed. We still wake him up to go potty before we go to bed at night, but other than that, he is doing great! About a month ago, we starting potty training our 2 year old and he was trained day/night in a week! He never has accidents at night so we went straight to underwear for him! Now the problem.......our 4 (almost 5) year old had been wearing pull ups at night but now that both of his brothers dont wear them (especially the 2 year old) he refuses to wear one either. So we said thats fine as long as he allows us to wake him at night (he's a very heavy sleeper) to go potty. He's been letting us but the problem is that even after that, he still has accidents. I change the sheets at least once, and even two times every night! We have been doing this now for a month, and it has not improved. I have tried to explain to him that it's ok to wear a pull up at night until his body learns to stay dry, but he will not have it. He screams and crys and will rip it off. His feelings are really hurt that he is the only one that can't stay dry. I don't want to fight with him or make this a negative expirience but I feel like it's a lose losesituation. It is not a positive thing to have him waking up changing pee soaked clothing and bedding twice every night. But I can't force him to wear a pull up either- he will just take it off. I know that every child is different and their body just needs to be ready but I don't think we have enough patience, or laundry detergent to go on like this! Please help!
So it's been just over a month since I posted the question and I wanted to give an update. Being more strict on the no drinks after 6:00 has definitly made a difference. Sometimes if we have a late dinner (and therefore a late drink) I notice that he will have more accidents that night. I purchased several absorbent pads from amazon that you just lay over the sheet. They are much more absorbent than the old ones we were using before! I have also layered (sheet, pad, sheet, pad) like some suggested, and that has also helped out a ton! It really makes the whole expirience of nighttime sheet changing much more tolerable to just pull it off, change his clothes and give him a dry blanket. As far as his progress goes, he has actually had a few dry nights! And I can't remember the last time I have had to change the sheets twice. I am hoping that he will just become trained now when he's ready.....and all of the wonderful advice you have given will make us all more sane in the meantime! And i will keep the alarm idea in the back of my head if we need it down the road. When we move next year the boys will each have their own room, so that would be much easier to implement if needed. Thank you so much for the suggestions!
We have that same issue. I bought these absorbent covers at Amazon. They lay over the bottom sheet and although they don't stop you from having to change him, they will help with you having to change the sheets!
They sell large pads to put under them, so you just have to change that and not the sheet & mattress pad... they look like puppy pads.
Peggy B has a great idea about the alarm but I would also recommend the Potty Pager. It's SILENT! My sons used them and were easily trained and since it's a silent alarm, the rest of the house isn't awaken when it goes off. My husband and I used to each get up during the night to wake our sons and take them to the bathroom which only resulted in our own lack of sleep because they would still wet the bed. The pager worked although our one son (through puberty) had to also take medicine at night.
The website is http://www.pottypager.com/. The pager is about $75 but it was well worth it to have a good night's sleep. Best of luck to you.
Here are some potty training tips and a link with more details:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2009/09/22/...
Be sure not to make potty training an issue of your child being told they are a "good" or "bad girl." These words can cause a regression in using the potty from feeling like they disappointed mom or dad, which causes a loss of self-esteem. Use phrases such as, "You did it!" or "Way to go!"
Well I have no idea how to get him to cooperate but I think this might help with night time bad making. When you make the bed put a waterproof mattress protector on then a sheet then another protector then another sheet etc. Then in the night you only have to pull off the wet one. Poor little guy his body just isn't ready:(
I have a 2.5 year old boy that stays dry all night if and only if we cut the drinks off at 7pm. He usually goes to bed about 8:30 or 9pm, and is awake at 7. The only thing i could suggest is cut everyones drinking off at 7 or about 1 to 1.5 hours before bed therefore then can get it all out of his system. I also have a waterproof matress pad under his sheets, and before we bought that i would put garbage on the bed then put 2 towels down. Good Luck
Night time training takes time and has the least amount of parent involvement since it is truly up to the child and his/her body to awaken when the sensation of urine is present. With that said, I can understand your frustration. Your little one wants to be a big boy like his brothers. First, I hope you have a plastic liner on your son's bed. All of their beds, in fact. My childrens bed have a full plastic liner that zips and the whole mattress is protected. To make night time clean up a little easier, you could purchase 2 mattress pad protectors that are water proof (or not) but having 2 is handy so when one is soiled, you have clean one handy. Ross or Marshalls...stores like those sell them relatively cheap, in price that is. I'm surprised your son is waking up so soon after an accident. Most children sleep through it and don't discover their accident until the morning. Aside from what you are already doing, I would also restrict his fluid intake before bedtime. For example, no drinks an hour before bed and then make him urinate just before getting into bed and then just before you retire to bed, wake him up and take him again. IF you happen to get up during the night to use the bathroom yourself, you could also wake him (if he has not already wet his bed) and take him when you go. I know, this is cumbersome and ALL children learn at different stages. Night time training does take time but in time, it will happen. Just be patient.
This is a tough one. I'm sure you're already using the strategies you need to use to minimize his need to go- no milk or soda after 6 pm, you already mentioned waking him when you go to bed. Maybe transitioning him from pullups to something like GoodNights, that look like underwear, could help. Possibly getting an old cellphone with an alarm on it, set either to a very low volume or to vibrate, to use as something to wake him enough to be aware of the need to go. Alternatively you might need to get up every four hours to wake him and get him accustomed to waking up and going to the bathroom to stay dry. Patience and consistency, just like for every other milestone, is key. In the meantime, get a waterproof mattress pad, and also crib liners, and layer your sheets to make your nights a little easier - put down mattress pad, sheet, crib liner, sheet, crib liner, sheet...so that if he does wet the bed, all you have to do in the middle of the night is pull off one layer to get to a dry sheet. (It worked for us!)
Good luck!
I would slip a pull up on him after he falls asleep. If he wakes up mad that he has it on tell how good of a nights sleep he got. My 6 yr old is a very deep sleeper and he wets the bed anwhere between 1-3 times a night even with waking him up to go. We recently purchased the malem bed wetting alarm. We are on our 3rd week and he has an accident where I have to change everything about once a week. He is making it dry through most of the nights and occassionaly he begins to pee, the alarm goes off and he stops and finishes in the toilet. It is a bit pricey ($115) but, it sure beats changing the bedding several times a night. Your son might be a little too young for it still but you might give it a try.
Have you thought of using a bedwetting alarm? My son still needed a nighttime pull-up (actually he maxed out at the largest size of Goodnights!) at 8 years old. He did not like it, was embarassed. So we used a Malem brand alarm. He was "trained" in less than a week and has not had any accidents/issues since (a year ago now). He was very happy with the whole process and of course the result. I would recommend having him sleep in a different room from his brothers- and you/your husband be in the same room with him for the first few nights- until the training is complete. Less embarassing for him, and less disruption for them when the alarm goes off. I HIGHLY recommend the alarm. If you are in the El Paso area, I could even give you our alarm (they are kind of pricey!). Ours has the alarm and it vibrates- our son is a very deep sleeper too. Let me know through Mamapedia if you would like it. Good luck.
