In my experience this is something kids just have to outgrow. I know people who’ve tried alarms and they usually just make the situation worse. He is obviously already upset about having accidents so try not to make a big deal about it. I agree with previous posters that the best option here are night time diapers. Tell him they are for just in case he has an accident and don’t make a big deal about him staying dry. Remind him he’s a big kid but he needs to have them for just in case.

I would put a waterproof mattress cover on his mattress but not have him use a pullup since you want him to feel the wetness as a reminder when he starts to pee. He is old enough to change his linens and pjs in the morning and put them in the laundry room or a laundry basket. Agree that you should be very loving and matter-of-fact in showing him what to do.

- Waterproof liner for his bed
- Pull ups at night
- Put the alarm and wake up at 4 am. Pick him up or walk him to the bathroom help him to pee and walk him back to bed.

He will be trained to heed the feeling of being full and get up to go to the bathroom. This is pretty common for boys his age.

Can you put a water-proof liner under his fitted sheets to make clean up better?

I'd also emphasize that this is nothing to be ashamed about, it happens a lot and it's all good. You can suggest an overnight pull-up but don't push it if he's embarassed or very resisstant. I'd also limit liquids before bedtime, make sure he's getting fiber-rich food (since constipation can cause this) and stay the course.

If he doesn't grow out of it soon, maybe a pull-up could be best. I wonder if you could frame it in a way like "even grown-ups sometimes wear things at night to help them (e.g. menstrual pads or adult diapers)." And tell him the most important thing is a good night's sleep. And again, this is not uncommon.

It’s unsanitary to let him sleep in a wet bed with urine. Even if you wash his clothes every day you will notice that his room starts to smell. Get diapers with leak guards, most of them have a size 7 for kids over 40lbs. He can throw them away in the morning and probably feel a lot better.

You can mention it to the pediatrician, but I'm certain they'll say it's normal.

Teach him what to do with his wet clothes, and let him know that it's important that he tells you so that you guys can change the sheets. Make it all very matter-of-fact, this is what we have to do to get things cleaned up.

I'd be hesitant to go back to pullups at this point, simply bceause he may think of it as a punishment even though it isn't. Maybe give him the option of those so he doesn't need to worry about getting changed in the middle of the night, but I wouldn't force it.

He’s probably going through a phase where he sleeps more soundly. Get him a plastic bin with a lid to put in his wet clothes and linens if he has an accident.

Anonymous wrote:Hey there everyone, this is the OP.

Appreciate the reassurance everyone. I'd thought this would be more of a concern, but it sounds like the concensus is that I'm worrying too much and this might be more typical for DS's age.

Quick question for everyone, but would this be something to mention to DS's pediatrician in the future?

My kids have been through this. Any pediatrician is going to tell you it’s nothing to be concerned about until he hits puberty. Not much you can do about it except have him try the potty right before bed and if he’s still having accidents go back to diapers at night.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have any good advice as a parent, but I remember doing this as a kid. I was embarrassed even though my parents wouldn’t have been angry.

+1.

Can you take him to the bathroom before you go to bed each night to help minimize the potential for an accident? He may not even remember that you do it.

Hey there everyone, this is the OP.

Appreciate the reassurance everyone. I'd thought this would be more of a concern, but it sounds like the concensus is that I'm worrying too much and this might be more typical for DS's age.

Quick question for everyone, but would this be something to mention to DS's pediatrician in the future?

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered getting him some pull-ups for nighttime? A lot of kids his age have accidents at night. It’s really not a big deal at all.

+1

Even if it's not super obvious, he's probably just dealing with the normal stresses of growing up. Just make some sort of night diaper or pullups available to him, and remind him that you love him and think the world of him.

Sounds like he had some bad experiences when he was potty training and now he’s very upset when he has an accident. Best thing to do would be to get him some pull-ups or overnight diapers and reassure him he is not in trouble if he has an accident.

I don’t have any good advice as a parent, but I remember doing this as a kid. I was embarrassed even though my parents wouldn’t have been angry.

Have you considered getting him some pull-ups for nighttime? A lot of kids his age have accidents at night. It’s really not a big deal at all.

So DS, just turned 6 this month, is a very, very sensitive kid. He's always been very concerned about not upsetting others, even if it's DH or myself.

He's only very infrequently had bedwetting accidents all his life since we did potty training when he was about 2.5.But for the past month, it's been happening increasingly often. Instead of once in a blue moon, now it seems to be 1-2 times a week (that we're aware of).

This morning I saw that he was wearing different PJs than what he went to bed wearing, and was acting strangely. I waited for him to say something, but eventually ended up getting down on his level and gently asked if "Buddy, did you maybe have an accident..?"

He was not at all thrilled to be discussing it, even though I was very clear that no one was at all upset with him, and that we love him very much no matter what.

We eventually found out he'd stuffed sopping wet, pee soaked pajamas between his headboard and the wall (!!!), and that this had been happening way more than we'd realized (the nighttime accidents, not the PJs behind the bed).

We're kind of at a loss here, does anyone have any suggestions? We've never before made a big deal of accidents when they occur, and DS hasn't had any major changes in his life recently. We're currently doing homeschooling, so school stress hasn't really been a factor.