Dispelling a Myth - You Can't Teach Your Child to Be Potty at Night

Your toddler is starting to want to use the potty, so you buy him underwear decorated with his favorite characters, and the training begins. Before long, he's using the toilet and staying dry all day. "Hooray!" you think. Potty training wasn't that hard. He should be able to stay dry at night without any problems. But after several weeks, the child continues to wet the bed. Months go by, and he still wets the bed at night. When I experienced this with my sons, I thought they were training accidents that happened at night. But they were actually bedwetting, and when I figured this out, I was able to adjust my approach and manage the situation. You and your child are not doing anything wrong. Bedwetting is completely normal, and nothing can "fix" it: the child will outgrow the problem as they grow up. In fact, according to the National Kidney Foundation, an estimated 5 to 7 million children wet the bed in the United States alone. Bedwetting affects boys more often than girls and is strongly linked to genetics. Dr. Vincent Iannelli, a pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that if one parent wets the bed, the child's chances of wetting the bed are up to 77% higher. Most of the time, bedwetting occurs simply because the child is not yet able to control their bladder. Just as children develop fine motor skills and language abilities at different rates, they also develop bladder control at their own pace. So, how do you manage your child's bedwetting? The fact that they wet the bed doesn't matter, as they will overcome the problem as their body matures. Bedwetting can embarrass and upset a child because they are unable to stay dry at night. Tell him emphatically that it's not his fault, that he's unable to stay dry at night because his body isn't mature enough yet and that it's not his choice. Responding negatively to your child's bedwetting can harm their self-esteem and even prolong the problem. Treating bedwetting as a matter of course will benefit everyone. Rather than feeling sorry for yourself, take the time to establish a calming bedtime routine to help your child get a good night's sleep. Try to limit fluid intake to 2 to 3 hours before bedtime and provide your child with disposable pads to help them stay dry while sleeping. This will save you from having to change the sheets every day and will allow your child to sleep comfortably throughout the night. Always keep in mind that this stage will eventually pass. Yes, it's stressful and difficult to accept when you're unable to correct the situation. But in the meantime, don't let bedwetting stress you or your child out. It's normal and much more common than you think. Tell your child that it's not their fault and that you love them unconditionally.