When Will My Toddler Stop Needing a Nappy at Night
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When Will My Toddler Stop Needing a Nappy at Night
Getting a child ‘potty trained’ during the day is relatively easy partially due to the child’s peer pressure and the fact the child thinks it’s quite a ‘grown up’ thing to do. So, coming out of nappies is somewhat of a doddle but the ‘follow on’ problem is slightly harder to resolve. The question is often asked, at “when will my toddler stop needing a nappy at night”
A rule of thumb suggests that a child should be toilet trained between 2 and 4 and should stop bed wetting by the age of 5. Obviously, the sooner the better for both the parents and the child.
If you are just starting potty training, then you should read our article potty training tips.
Why does my Child still need a nappy at night?
As I write this, I must first confirm that I have read articles that contradicts my preferred method, however, this will require patience and a level of toughness by the child’s parent.
The more a child drinks before bed the more likely the child will need to empty their bladder during the night. I would suggest cutting down on drinks at around 4.30 pm. Of course, if your child is thirsty, you should not prevent him/her from drinking a limited amount. Try to avoid citrus and sweet drinks like orange juice, fresh fruit drinks and milk.
Toilet trips during the night can keep them dry…
Making a child go to the toilet just prior to going to bed, in my opinion, is a must. Once the child is asleep, take them out of bed, maybe twice, say at 8pm and the again at 11pm before you retire for the night. Although it will seem cruel, the child will not remember these events. Obviously get them into the toilet the very first thing in the morning is a must to avoid morning mishaps.
And just when you think it’s all over and you have the potty routine….
Once you’ve got yourself into a routine. The training nappies have gone and the washing machine does not need to run every morning. Your child seems happy to drink less and be woken from to visit the toilet during the night when, all of a sudden, the bedwetting comes back with a vengeance. For some reason this ‘blip’ is harder to fix. During the first stage the child will probably be in training nappies while at this stage the training nappies have already been dispensed with never to return. Now the real hard work starts. Basically, you have to go back to step one and start the whole process again.
It is also worthwhile to keep a diary. Create a list of foods and drinks which you believe exacerbates the problem. Be cruel to be kind, not only for your child but also for yourself. Don’t give up. The longer you leave it, the harder the problem is to fix.
And finally You know the bedwetting problem is resolved when your child jumps out of bed in the morning and runs to the toilet when he or she wakes up ‘dry’
It may feel like a long journey but you will soon forget about all the difficulties.
Rules to remember are
Keep a diary
Make a note of what works for your child
Avoid excessive drinks after 4pm
Get your child up at least 3 times per night
Reward the child for staying dry
Persevere
If you want a list of potty training essentials, we have an article on that too.
Carla is the founder of MyBump2Baby. Carla has a huge passion for linking together small businesses and growing families. Carla’s humorous, non-filtered honesty has won the hearts of thousands of parents throughout the UK.
She has previously written for the Metro and made appearances on BBC News, BBC 5 live, LBC etc. Carla is a finalist for Blogger of the Year award with Simply Ladies inc. Carla is also the host of the popular Fifty Shades of Motherhood podcast and The MyBump2Baby Expert podcast.
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