Hi! - Port Jefferson,NY

Have you noticed any change in how much water he is drinking? Because one of the hallmarks of diabetes is excessive thirst - drinking way more than usual will result in a larger volume of urine, and therefore it could lead to more accidents. But since he did tell a teacher the one time and she made him wait, that makes me think he might be waiting too long. Really, unless you are noticing other things, all you can do is wait to talk to the pediatrician about it.

It sounds like he's forgetting to go because he's so involved in what he's doing, and consequently, he's waiting too long to go. This has happened to DD a few times since she's been trained, all in places she wasn't familiar with, when she was distracted & didn't know where the bathroom was.

The only remedy I've found for this is to make sure I remind her to go, and to remind her of where the potty is.

I used to teach kindergarten and this was often a problem if kids got wrapped up in what they were doing.

However, whenever this cropped up in my classroom and became a repetitive issue with a child who never had issues before, I would always ask if there were any changes at home - new sibling? relationship changes between parents? etc. That can cause a little bit of regression, which is totally normal!

Good luck!

If it were me, I'd try to 'catch' him every so often and send him to use the toilet. Do not ask him if he needs to go, just send him. "It's time for a bathroom break" like it's a fact of life, once every couple hours (or more often, if necessary). If you are shopping, plan a trip to the toilet as a matter of course. My son hates using the bathroom in public and will tell me he doesn't have to go if I ask him, so I don't ask. I just tell him that it's time for a bathroom stop, and he usually does need to go. I'd also let the teacher know that if he has to use the toilet, she should just let him go immediately.

Some kids do get busy; some, I think, also go through phases of testing how long they can hold it because they don't want to stop what they are doing. And then accidents happen. I have seen this sort of pants-wetting a lot with children this age. Not every kid does it, but it isn't unique. I have more than one child in my life who, when they come to visit, I know I need to send them to the bathroom every couple hours.

I truly hope your little guy's health is fine and please know, it's not uncommon at this age!

If you are truly worried that he has a medical issue, then you should contact his doctor now. For instance, if he has a UTI, he should be on antibiotics now, not next week when he has a physical.
However, it sounds like every time he has thse accidents, he is never in the house or indoors at school, near the bathroom. He may be waiting too long when the bathroom is too far away, or in the case of a store, he may not know that there is a bathroom for him ot use.
I'd call the doctor now to rule out anything like a UTI and if you are out with him, I'd make bathroom stops without asking if he needs them and I'd request that his teacher not ask him to wait if he needs to go.

I really think it sounds like he's just putting off going too long and until it's too late. Even adults hold it too long. I know I do. Especially at work when things are crazy and all the sudden it's "I better go pee or there's going to be a puddle right here".
It's also not good to hold it too long.
Hopefully the pediatrician can talk to him about the importance of going as soon as he needs to. Holding it is for when you're in the car on the way home or someone is in line ahead of you in the bathroom. Playing is not a time to hold it.
Holding it too long can lead to a urinary tract infection, which is extremely painful, and he doesn't want to go through that.

My friend's son developed diabetes and wetting his pants wasn't a symptom. He developed such an excessive thirst that he was drinking so much water his stomach couldn't hold it and he was throwing it back up.
This started happening at a family vacation at Disneyland, of all things.

Don't panic yet....his physical is next week. Try reminding him to go to the bathroom on a regular basis in the meantime.

Best wishes.

He may have a UTI. these sometimes cause children to have accidents when normally they wouldn't.