Some posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RestEasyWithCVS #CollectiveBias
I don’t know about you, but potty training my kids was not a fun experience. In all honesty, my husband trained our boys and I helped just a little. I was so grateful when it was over and we could move on from diapers and changing them. However, when it came to nighttime, our oldest wasn’t out of the woods after he was potty trained. He continued to have accidents during the night, sometimes more than once a night.
We did our best to encourage him and tried many different tactics. It wasn’t until his little brother was potty trained that it became more of a problem for him. He hated that his little brother never had accidents! Out of the two of them, my oldest is the most competitive and it ate him up to think that he couldn’t do something that his brother could.
It was so hard to see him wake up in disappointment in the mornings, or to hang his head in shame while we cleaned his bedding, wet clothes, and sheets. Thankfully, we did have something that saved us from having to continually clean up after accidents, GoodNites® Bedtime Pants, the number one nighttime protection brand.
While it was hard for him to not wear big boy underwear like his brother, we made it fun to go to the store and buy the GoodNites® Bedtime Pants. Because they protect him wear he needs it most with 5 layers of protection, we aren’t waking up in the middle of the night to change sheets in the morning! Plus, the fun designs including Marvel’s Iron Man, camo print, and skateboards, make them fun to wear.
In the past two years, we have learned some things about helping him stay confident while learning to stay dry at night. Every child is different but bed wetting is common. One out of every six 4-12 year olds wet the bed so I know this problem is something in which many of you can relate. Here are some things that we do as a part of our bedtime routine to help our son.
1. Encourage Them & Relate
Maybe this goes without saying, but bedwetting can be an embarrassing situation, especially as a child gets older. As parents, it can be easy to say and do things that perpetuate the embarrassment without meaning to. In the beginning, we would sometimes groan in disappointment when he wet the bed or woke up wet. It’s not fun to change sheets at three in the morning, right? But they feel worse than we do and hearing that negativity does not help them.
So, try your best to keep those thoughts to yourself. And then find a way to relate to them. In our situation, my husband was able to talk to our son about how he wet the bed when he was younger too. The first time he shared his story, our boy lit up because his Daddy, the man he looks up to, had a hard time with something too. No matter what it is, find a way to share something that was difficult for you, an older sibling, a grandparent..
A little bit of encouragement and relatability goes a long way!
2. Use A Mattress Protector
The GoodNites® Bedtime Pants saved our bedding and pajamas from needing to be washed on a daily basis. They are odor absorbing and have stretchy sides to give a comfortable fit. When they are on correctly, they work perfectly! Sometimes, our son moves his GoodNites® Bedtime Pants while he sleeps and he ends up having an accident. He is is such a deep sleeper! He’s even sleep walked and gone potty on the bed while dreaming it was the toilet. Because of that, we added a mattress protector underneath his sheets (the green gingham sheet). It’s just a backup for those times when he does something crazy in his sleep.
3. Make A Set Bedtime Routine
We all fall into a bedtime routine at some point. They do change as kids get older but there are some things that need to remain in order to help with bedwetting. Our routine includes reading two books, brushing teeth, and a trip to the bathroom. We don’t allow our kids to drink 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime either. This allows them to empty their “cup” (that’s what we call it) before they go to bed. It was hard at first to not allow them to have a drink but once we did it a few times, it became routiine and they didn’t complain about it anymore.
4. Add A Late Night Bathroom Break
My husband and I go to bed 2 or 3 hours after our kids. My husband had the idea about a year ago to start taking our son to the bathroom right before we went to bed. So, every night around 11, we give our son an extra chance to empty his “cup”. One of us helps him because he tends to be really drowsy and doesn’t really know what he’s doing. It has has helped more than we could have hoped!
5. Have An Incentive for Waking Up Dry
While we don’t want to discourage our son, we decided that when he did have a dry night, we would have a small incentive in place. It was added encouragement, especially in helping him remember to go to the bathroom before he went to bed and to not drink anything. We have a little chart in the bathroom that we add star stickers to each morning that he wakes up with dry GoodNites® Bedtime Pants. When he reaches a certain number of stars on the chart, we take him to buy new pajamas or underwear or he gets to grab ice cream with one of us. Pajamas can be so much fun to shop for because they have so many varieties now!
No matter where you are at with your child’s bedwetting, it can be very frustrating for all involved. But taking extra steps to be prepared makes all the difference! Our son doesn’t feel shame anymore. He tries the best that he can, knowing that we are here to support and help him. It has also taught my husband and I patience and helped us be more aware of how we talk to our kids. It’s been a learning experience for all of us, and, oddly enough, I’m grateful for it!
I’m also grateful for great products and ideas that help, like our GoodNites® Bedtime Pants. You can find them in the diaper aisle at your local CVS pharmacy. And you can let your little man or little lady choose their design!
How do you help your child through bedwetting? I’d love to hear your tips! And if you’re looking for more ideas, visit the GoodNites® website or follow them on Facebook.
