Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
I am having trouble with my 5 year old wetting on herself during the day. This happens approximately 2-3 times a day. I need answers as to why this could be happening and how to react.
By Kimberly from Pittsburg, CA
Definitely speak to your pediatrician, especially if she has been dry previously. You need to rule out things like diabetes and urinary tract infections. Please don't delay!
Yes, see a doctor. And what ever you do, do not feel it's something you are doing. Is someone bullying her? Is she frightened of something? Has she had a sudden loss lately like a pet or a friend? Often physical reactions are caused by mental or emotional problems. Good luck!!
I know when I was young I had a problem with wetting in my pants. I just could not hold it. I had six bladder operations before the age of six. They corrected the issue. So, yes, see a doctor. It could very well be a physical problem for which your child has no control.
My little girl had the same problem. I was at my wits end. Came to find out she was alergic to sulphur and this is what was causing the incontence. Unusual, I know, but when we avoided the sulphur, the problem disappeared. You may consider having her checked for a hidden allergy.
My 6 year old daughter is having accidents almost everyday. We thought it was a medical problem, but the doctor says no. We tried counseling due to her being adopted, but that is not working. I thought it might be an attention getter, due to her having a younger sibling. We have tried everything. We need some help. Any suggestions?
By Stephanie from Dayton, OH
I wouldn't make a big deal about it. My granddaughter was "trained" at 2 and has started wetting the bed recently and having accidents. She is 6 also. I see that discouraged look in her eyes when my daughter fusses at her. Being a little older I just feel like there are bigger issues to do battle over but she feels it is unacceptable since she knows better. Just make sure that you take her often to the bathroom. I've noticed that it mostly happens when granddaughter is busy at play or at night when she is asleep. Maybe jot down a note on a calendar when she does it and what is going on-this might give you a clue as to why this is happening.
I am a retired therapist for adoptive/foster children. This is common in children when we are not sure of their history. If they had been abused they may be experiencing flashbacks or fears which can lead to wetting. Or, it may be developmental. Age 6 is a common age for wetting accidents and they usually grow out of it. There is a medication, DDAVP, that is used for bedwetting. It is very effective with no side effects. We used this a lot for foster children and saw a lot of success. It can be prescribed from the pediatrician and can slow or stop the bedwetting, no matter what the cause is. Good luck.
Certain food allergies can cause an overactive bladder. It might help to have your child tested for allergies and put her on an elimination diet.
If you want an old ladies advice, that is an old lady that has 7 grown kids, 25 or so grandchildren, (it is hard to keep up with the step-grands these days, but they do count), and i lost track at about 12 great grands with one or two on the way. (I am not senile, nor am i joking about the numbers, it is just crazy sometimes).
Anyway, here is my advice to you, spend your time loving, reinforcing her position in the family, but also give her jobs, make her place in the family an important one, as sometimes a feeling of unimportance can cause the "little" diversions from normal behavior. Also, sometimes, the ability to "hold it" just seems to weaken, and then a few weeks, or even months, later, all's well again.
Mostly, just don't make a big deal about it. The less you stress it, the less it will make her upset if it is something she can't seem to control at this particular time. All the best to you and your family. Loretta, (and I am only 70)
Please just don't make a big deal of it! My brother wet himself (whether at play or sleeping) for what seemed like forever and he finally got over it not long after our parents quit making an issue out of it.
They would fret and run him from doctor to doctor and once the physical part was ruled out they took him for mental/emotional help about wet sheets and wet pants. Well, when the children's hospital finally told them he's a normal boy they stopped their fretting and the disappointed looks on their faces and he stopped wetting himself in a really short time! That was almost five decades ago so some things are best left to nature, time and and not worrying!
With adoption there is a high probability of FAS or FAE (fetal alcohol syndrome/effects). FAS kids can have all kinds of mental health issues but also medical, one is bladder issues. My dd (adopted) bio-mom (also FAS) had one kidney significantly smaller than the other. She also had problems with her bladder.
ADHD: If your child is ADHD they are running and moving all day, by the time they finally sleep they can zonk out so hard they can't wake up.
One of mine (adopted with FAS, ADHD etc etc) actually fell from top bunk at night and never woke up - he slept hard and was 11 before he was actually dry over 1/2 the time
Allergies: Allergies are another problem that can cause urine issues. When mine flare up I have to pee all night, so do my kids & dh. Ria
I have twin girls that are almost 7 years old that still wet their pants during the day, but not at night. I have had them to the doctor and they have run all kinds of test on them. They all come back negative. So I know there is nothing wrong with them medically. They will both go to the bathroom, but instead of sitting on the toilet to pee they would rather pee in their pants. So my question is how do I get them to stop wetting themselves during the day?
Have you found out if they're afraid of the toilet? Some kids are afraid of the sound the toilet makes or believe they can be flushed down the toilet.
If they are especially petite they may feel like they are constantly going to fall in while balancing on the edge of the seat. You might try holding onto them while they go or putting an arm around their back.
At 7 years old this is rather strange. Your girls are being lazy to go to the toilet during the day. You might not have another choice but to take them to the toilet yourself. Stand with them and make them go pee in the toilet. If they only wet their pants during the day they are crying out for your attention. If one twin decides to wet her pants the other will follow. It is a game of who gets the most attention from mommy.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
My boyfriend's 4 year old daughter keeps wetting her pants while watching TV. Her mother, grandmother, and father (my bf) have decided to spank her on the butt after she wets her pants, and I do not agree with this at all. I think they should ground her from TV and maybe timeout as well. So what do you think should be done? There's got to be something better than what we are all doing. Should we get her professional help?
By joyjoy33 from Hobart, IN
If she is only doing this when watching TV, I would say she is so engrossed in what she is watching she "forgets" she has to go. Have her go sit on the toilet during each commercial break whether she has to go or not, I'll bet most likely she will go. Heck, run the water in the sink if you must, she'll go, and praise her when she does. Spanking is not going to help her and will probably only make matters worse.
In response to the other post regarding the 5 year old, if there is no medical problem then please seek help elsewhere. It may be emotional, especially if her parents are not together. In both cases are these kids wetting more when they are with one parent or home more so than with the other? At this age, they are more likely to act out in some way as they can't articulate what is bothering them.
(04/07/2009)
By Opal1013
A child this age knows what she's doing. One thing she's doing is getting attention. She probably should see a doctor to rule out physical problems, but I suspect it's being done on purpose. I'd not let her sit on furniture, but on an old shower curtain or plastic table cloth on the floor. She would have to wear large diapers. She can also miss out on "big girl" stuff (think of some!) until she proves she's big enough to do them. If everybody gets all lathered up over this she's getting what (I suspect) she wants. It's just a simple matter to go back to babyland with no fuss from adults. (04/07/2009)
By Glenn'sMom
I don't believe punishing her will help at all. Our little girl used to wet herself regularly while playing with her toys. She just didn't think to go to the loo. Her mind was too preoccupied. We just had to keep reminding her, every ten to fifteen minutes with "Do you need the toilet?". She stopped constantly wetting herself by about the age of five, with a few accidents every so often. She was pretty much dry by the age of six. She never had the problem once she started school.
Our little boy is now the same. He is three, and he just doesn't think to go to the toilet or potty. He doesn't need a diaper, but we need to keep reminding him.
Children are not being naughty when they wet themselves, and punishing them for it, especially spanking, should have been left behind with the Victorians! Try rewarding the child for a whole day dry, with a small treat (doesn't have to be candy), or keeping a chart, where they get smileys and frowns for dry and wet days, and a little prize for so many dry days. Also, when they have a whole dry day, tell the, how good they were. If they have wet day, you can say it's not good., but don't be cross or angry. Yes, it wears the patience thin, when your running out of dry pants and your hands smell of wee, but they are just children, still learning to live.
Rob. (04/07/2009)
By alloydog
I am strongly against the idea of corporal punishment or humiliation (e.g. treating the child like a baby) for dealing with this wetting issue, because in the event that it's unintentional and difficult to control, using the first two options as discipline could really shatter the child's self esteem and lead to further emotional or behavioral problems. Please remember that this is a little girl who needs to be treated with love, not taught that her body or its processes are shameful.
I'd seek a second doctor's opinion or request a referral to a urologist to rule out a medical problem, and use other posters' suggestions of consistent reminders to take a bathroom break (a kitchen timer would help!), limiting fluids in excess, and handling accidents with encouragement and kindness. She might also need to have her TV time shortened somewhat so that she's able to listen to her body's cues without being mesmerized by whatever's on the screen. (04/10/2009)
By sigma28
I had an acquaintance that was a pediatrician. She had an uncanny way of working with preschoolers with these types of behavioral problems. The solutions were usually quite simple or straight forward. This is all part of their training and worth a visit to a pediatrician to get to the bottom of it. I'm not against corporal punishment for kids, but only as a last resort. It does not look like it is appropriate in this situation. (04/10/2009)
By Nockmoi
Children need reminders and will until they move out of the house and still they will need reminders. It is your job as a parent to stay in control and instill good values and morals in your child. Accidents will happen. I think if you make sure she potties before she sits to watch TV and then maybe at 30 minute intervals, have her go during commercials, this will eliminate the problem. Lots of praise for staying dry and little reaction to the accidents will keep her self esteem in tact. (04/11/2009)
This is giving up their complete control. This is the only thing they themselves have control over and no one can stop it except them. Think about why she may be wanting to keep this control. (04/11/2009)
By Toebeanie
How many times have you sneezed or coughed till you "had an accident". Remind the child every hour if necessary to get to the BR. If this were an issue other times, chiropractic care is fantastic. There are little areas in the back that press on the bladder, etc. (lots of medical terms), but an adjust is fantastic for the pants wetter.
My 2 yr old granddaughter and her sister when 2 went through this as well. They were done with diapers except when accidents began, we got them in, adjusted, and wetting was over. Kids run and play and jump and don't tell us if they hurt themselves. Only wetting can do it. I am 54 and my mom took my bed wetting siblings in for the same thing, chiropractic care, without medical treatments and medication are the best way to start, totally non-invasive. Why medicate and still pee the pants? Take care of the problem. (04/13/2009)
By T&T Grandma
She will be starting school this fall and I don't know what they will do with her then. Thanks for any help you may give me.
Teresa
It sounds like more of an emotional problem than physical. Perhaps the child is feeling stress over a new relationship her dad has? Perhaps she doesn't spend enough time with just her and dad and feels that any attention, even negative, is something she wants? Maybe there is a new situation in the household (new school, new daycare, new sibling, new... ?) that is causing unrealized stress.
As to how to deal with it, just remind, remind, remind her to listen to her body and how important it is. Stress that since she's a big girl, she needs to listen very hard to her body. But don't berate her when she does have accidents, just help her to quietly get cleaned up, changed, and back to normal. Making too much out of the accident will probably have the opposite of the desired effect.
When this happens to my daughters, I talk with her as I help her change into clean, dry clothes, about listening to her body and being a big girl and all the big girl things she can do. I try to reinforce that it's no big deal (even if I feel like it is a big deal), that she has mastered LOTS of big girl things, and that I know she will try to not have an accident next time. Believe it or not, this method DOES work.
I'm just a mom, not a Dr, and every child is different. But I have used this method on 3 different girls now and it's worked well. Good luck! (06/26/2005)
By smcarney
You said she's been checked by a doctor, has a urologist checked her? If not, there could be a problem the regular doctor doesn't see. My daughter wet the bed every night until she was 5 years old. I finally took her to a urologist and he found stenosis of the uretherer and that her bladder is smaller than average. He dilated it (in the operating room) and it gave instant relief from the problem. Best of luck. (06/27/2005)
By Beverly
Don't make a big deal out of it. Try and find special underwear (like Pampers pull up training pants), just tell her that they will help her know when she has to go potty. (06/27/2005)
By bam328
My stepdaughter had this problem when she was your daughters age, her mother finally took her to the doctor and found that she had a very small bladder, the mother was told to make sure the little girl goes to the bathroom within an hour of drinking something, and also nothing to drink or eat 3 hours before bedtime. Hope this helps. (06/27/2005)
By RoseMary B
Hi,
I am a teacher and sometimes this type of problem is due to stress. 5 year olds do experience stress! Depending on how long she has been doing this and any big changes in her life recently. Sometimes children do this subconsciously to get attention if they are feeling left out or out of control. Facing school for the first time could be upsetting her. These things could be adding up.
I suggest talking to her in a simple way about what may be upsetting her. Don't mention the wetting herself problem, I'm sure it upsets her too and will make her shut down and not talk to you. Maybe just spending some extra time with her might help. These are just thoughts and certainly may not pertain to your situation. It is just an idea.
Good luck! (06/28/2005)
See another doctor. I have a friend whose daughter has issues with wetting and soiling herself. They are physical problems. I would see doctors until one could offer help. Even if it is a behavior issue, a good pediatrician will be able to offer suggestions and support to help. (06/28/2005)
Years of working in childcare field and babysitting, I have seen wetting problems. Some are behavioral, others are from having too small of a bladder and this is more common than you think. The kids outgrow this and the parents are going to need patience. It is very wonderful of you to care so much for your boyfriend's child. Good luck.
(06/30/2005)
By meoowmom
My child wet the bed on and off until about age 6. I thought she would never outgrow it and/or was just too plain lazy to get up in the middle of her sleep, but luckily she outgrew her "Nocturnal Enuresis", thank God! Try taking away water privileges just before going to bed. If child has small bladder they may not hold much.
If you have checked the child and there is no physical and/or behavioral problem that may need other treatments:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/enuresis.htm
How about trying those new GoodNites Underpants, to fit bigger kids from 38 to 125+ lbs.
http://www.goodnites.com/na/productinfo/productinfo_aboutgn.asp
Good Luck! (07/09/2005)
By adelanoval
