3 1/2 Year Old Son Still Wears Diaper/pull up to Bed.

If he sleeps that long its to long that could be why he has accidents. Are you sure he is always thirst and not hungry? I would stop fluids 1 hour befor he goes to bed but do not allow him to sleep more than 8 hours each night. 11-12 hours is way to much. I would keep the pull ups on until you know for sure he does not have accidents. I would wait till month with out any then try to coach him into underwear. Good Luck

My 3 1/2 year old will also be 4 in March :) He is good for naps, and occosionally some nights but for the most part not at night. He does underwear at naps but nights he wears a diaper, and I'm talking size 5 baby diaper (it pays to have him long and thin sometimes LOL). He will pee through them at night. Some say take the diaper off and they will start getting up to go if they don't like to be wet. I have also heard of waking them through the night to take them to the bathroom. I have tired both actually. He sleeps through the peeing at night...He will wake up in the morning and change his clothes and come to me and say his bed is wet...then I have to undress him b/c he will break out in a rash. BLAH! I tried waking him, putting him on the potty...he either throws the biggest fit in the world or he just doesn't go. To me, neither are really worth it. I was going to ask at the next healthy check up (or doc appointment if it's before that) about what she suggest. Best wishes! I'm reading the advice with you but for the most part waiting it out.

He is fine! This is normal for some children. Do NOT make him feel bad about it that just creates worse problems.

3 1/2...Not to worry. My son just turned 4 and still refuses to MB on the toilet. Talk about frustrating. I'll tell you what I hear ALL the time....He will go when he's ready.

I have learned that it is true when they says "Boy's will go when they are ready. Can't rush or force them."

How many times have you heard that statement?

I know for my son, I cut down fluid about 1 1/2 hours before bedtime and gave him fruit or other juicy foods. Not that I STOPPED giving him something to drink, just backed off a little.

Never had accidents in bed or when playing. If I could only take care of those BM's!!

Good Luck.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some children's bladders just don't hold that long. You can try some of those pull ups that let him feel when he starts to go so that he will wake up when he starts to go.

Do you a have potty chair in his room? That really helped my daughter in the middle of the night. Also i know he says he's thirsty but cut off anything to drink 1/2 hour before bedtime and don't let him take anything to drink to bed, that will stop him from even going in the middle of the night. You could try telling him to wake you up in the middle of the night if he thinks he has to go. All this worked with my daughter so i hope any of this helped, Good Luck!

I have to agree. It takes a long time for the bladder for children to catch up with the rest of their bodies. I wouldn't worry to much about it. In fact our daughter that will be 4 in March can't wear a pull up to bed because she soaks so much that she has to wear a diaper. Truthfully I'm not worried about it at all and I know that she won't wear a diaper forever and if I have to buy one box of diapers every month or so I'll do it, over changing sheets and bathing her every morning. Good luck, and just have faith that he'll get there. :-)

H.,

Relax! Don't put pressure on the little guy. Just keep putting the pull-ups on him at night until he is dry in the morning and don't pester him about it. At least he has good drinking habits and is getting a good night's sleep.

As he gets older, he will get to the point where he doesn't wet at night anymore, or will naturally wake when he has the urge. Let him grow at his own pace, and it will be easier.

My son was much older and still wearing diapers, when "the light went on" and he didn't need them anymore. Everyone progresses differently, and that's OK.

Best wishes,
K.

H.,
I feel your frustration, but not to worry. My daughter is 5 years old and she is just now able to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. But we still keep her in a pull up at night. Their little bodies just aren't able to wake them up at night to go the bathroom. We try to remind her at night to listen to her body and go pee pee when she has too. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Just hang in there. I have heard before, they won't go to college wearing pull ups at night.

Good luck and don't worry.

Hi H.,
Any medical professional will tell you that toileting during the day and night are completely different. I have three kids - my oldest (boy), 7-1/2 just stopped needing pull-ups about 3 months ago. He still has an occasional accident and we take him to the bathroom around 11 pm before we go to sleep. He has absorbent liners under his sheets. My 6 year old (boy) started staying dry through the night at around 5 years and has always gone the whole night through without needing to be awakened. My 3-1/2 year old (girl) started staying dry through the night about 3 months ago. Like my oldest, she still has an occasional accident and we take her to the bathroom before we go to bed. There is plenty of information online about toileting overnight. With my oldest, we tried limiting liquids, taking him to the bathroom a couple times a night, taking away the pull-ups so that he would feel the wetness, etc... In most cases, the body has to mature into itself with regards to bladder size, control, and awareness.

Starting with naps is a good move - be sure he goes before his nap and work on that as a first step. Talk with your pediatrician or read all the wonderful resources online!

Don't worry about it!
W.

Don't worry he'll get out of it sooner or later. My son was almost 4 when he stopped the night time pull ups. I cut his fluids after dinner to just water. Make sure he went potty right before bed and woke him up about 3 or 4 hours later to make him go and if he didn't I didn't stress about it. Now he don't wear em at all. It might take him time it might not...either way don't stress about it. He'll come around...good luck!

For one week get your son up at the same time every night for that week and put him on the potty, and then the next week do the same but an hour later, and keep doing that for a week at a time till you have completed and whole night, by that time you will have his body bladder/kidneys trained to hold it the whole night. It will be a lot of work for you having to get up during the night. But it will be worth it. That is the advise of a doctor, that was told to my sister, and it worked.

My 12 yr old had a bedwetting problem up until about 1 1/2 yrs ago. She would sleep so heavy that she couldn't wake herself up to go. This was from the time she was potty trained. It just took a long time for her brain and bladder to connect. I really wouldn't worry.

I think a lot of kids at this age still wear pull ups. I know my 6 yr old cousin still has accidents every now and then. I wouldn't worry too much. The only thing you could do it make sure he isn't drinking a lot of sugary drinks, which will only make him more thirsty and make his bladder work harder. Also, try having him not drink anything at least an hour or so before bed and make it a ritual to have him go to the bathroom before bed.

My son will be 4 in April and he still wears one to bed at night. He does fine for naps, but I don't feel comfortable not putting one on him at night. Some mornings he wakes up dry and some he doesn't. Don't worry about it. There is no set time that he needs to be out of them. It will happen.

I agree. Sometimes it just takes time for thier little bladders to catch up. Don't worry.

Hi H.,

Your son could be as old as 7 or 8 before he does not need a pull up at night. Boys bladders sometime mature more slowly than the rest of their bodies. Your son will do it when his body is ready.

You might want to try to put him on the potty right before you go to bed and see if that helps tide him over until morning.

Good luck.

An hour before nap and an hour before bed give him nothing to drink.

hi H.,

my son was about the same age and i was having problems with him wetting also. i contacted my doctor and he told me that with time he will learn to do it himself. take time and continue to show him love. he will do it with time.. my son did