Kiddipedia
It’s always difficult to know when the best time to start night time toilet training for your child should be. There is no specific date or time to start – it’s really up to your parental intuition and child’s physiological (bladder and bowel control), cognitive and verbal developmental stages, emotional and social awareness and their individual needs.
It’s also helpful to be aware of you and your partner’s childhood bedwetting history as if you and / or your partner wet the bed till older, it is more likely your child will.
Generally, most children have control over their bladders in the daytime by the age of three and girls seem quicker to adapt than boys. At night it takes a little longer to get to grips with staying dry, as the child has no bladder awareness whilst asleep. The hormone that sends signals to the kidneys to delay urine production whilst resting develops in children at different ages, some younger and some older.
They are either physically capable of holding their wee or waking up to wee or they aren’t. If your child is still waking up wet every morning he is not ready to be in underwear and there is no shame in that. Some kids can day train at 2 and still be in pull-ups at 5 or 6. It’s just the way they are made and every kid is different. Don’t be concerned if your toddler wets the bed because most children under the age of 5 still wet in their sleep and one in ten younger primary school children do too. A Brolly Sheet on their bed will make changing a wet bed a lot quicker. No more stripping the bed.
Doctors consider bedwetting normal until about 7-8 years old. After that point, they’ll sometimes check to see if there are other reasons for bedwetting (infections, diabetes, etc). A bedwetting alarm can be a great help with older children. Bedwetting alarms work on conditioned learning and there are several types available. Brolly Sheets sell NZ made alarms that are wired, wireless or a pad style.
How to tell when your child is ready
Is your child waking up dry several mornings a week?
If they are waking up wet, check to see if they are weeing just before they wake. (The nappy will be soaked and the wee warm)
Your child may attempt to go to the toilet or call out for your help.
Does your child say they want to try without nappies?
If your child wakes up every morning with a wet nappy – they may not be ready
Diane Hurford
Brolly Sheets ltd
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What is nappy rash and how can you prevent it?
