Q: My son is 4 and has been potty trained since Christmas 2008. He decided he didn’t want to wear nappies to bed, and for a while he was dry. Over the last few months, however, he has started to wet the bed every night. I’ve tried just about everything – any guidance?
Jo Frost says: When a mum says to me, “I’ve tried everything,” I can’t help but think, “If you had it would be sorted.” I mean that in a nice way – we all feel like we’ve tried all we can. But you need to go back over things, as something is triggering this. What’s changed since he started being dry at night? By this
I mean anything that alters routine – like moving house, starting nursery or going to a new group. Perhaps he started drinking more fluid over the summer, which affected his sleeping and toilet patterns. He might just be sleeping through the need to wee.
You’ve done this before, and you can do it again. Don’t scold him, but remind him he can do this. Cut down on fluid near bedtime, and try an 11pm ‘pick up’ where you wake him and take him for a wee so his body gets used to going at that time. Ensure he stands up when he goes, so he’s awake enough.
