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Original poster

To expect 3.5 yr old to use potty alone at night...

109 replies

Cato9lives · 20/05/2024 11:25

3.5 yr old dd has been potty trained for past 7 months. Recently went dry at night around 6 weeks ago. She has always been a good sleeper and nearly always slept through 8pm til 7am, (we have been very lucky, I know!) Over past month she has started waking up around 3/4am every night saying she needs a wee or a drink. She has a drink right next to her bed and a potty in her room with a night light. She is capable of doing these things by herself but she always calls me into her room to witness her doing them! If I don't go she gets upset which makes the situation worse. Obviously I want her to stop waking me up in the night. I've bought her a gro clock and tried to bribe her with the promise of special ice cream if she doesn't wake me up, but nothing seems to be working. I'm worried about this turning into a habit that we can't break. Has anyone had similar? Help please! 😢

OP posts:
CrotchetyQuaver · 20/05/2024 11:44

I would try lifting her on to the pot and giving a drink before you go to bed, there may be some anxiety about making it through the night without an accident

dazzlingdoll · 20/05/2024 11:44

Your wrong to expect a Child of this age to not need your help seriously

WinkyTinky · 20/05/2024 11:43

My DS16 still comes and tells me when he's going to the toilet in the night 😆I think 3.5y is a bit young for anything that happens in the night - the night is inherently slightly scarier than day time, so give her time. She'll be fine eventually.

waterrat · 20/05/2024 11:42

gosh she is v young to be dry at night. Mine were 6/7 - my older one was older than that but she has SEN.

Do you know its a hormone thing being dry at night? Children develop at different ages.

re. the toilet, tricky one - she will grow out of it but she is only little still

Babyonemorekiss · 20/05/2024 11:41

I definitely wouldn't expect a child that young to manage alone. Sorry but getting up at night is part of parenting!

Maybe she's not ready to be dry at night if it's waking her? You could go back to pull ups for night?

Reugny · 20/05/2024 11:40

She's too little.

Once she's been at school for a few months she may either not wake up at night to go for a wee, or go on her own when she does wake up.

I still have to take my DD to toilet at night at 5. Other friends of mine children were still in pull ups at that age as they couldn't wake up to wee.

nutbrownhare15 · 20/05/2024 11:34

I wouldn't expect a 3.5 year old to manage anything on their own at night. If course she will want your support. She's waking up because she needs to wee so it won't last forever. My 5 year old stopped waking to wee about 6 months ago.

longdistanceclaraclara · 20/05/2024 11:31

She's only 3.5, I wouldn't expect her to manage on her own at night. Is it the light waking her?

bellinisurge · 20/05/2024 11:27

Is she maybe not ready to be dry all night? Every child is different but I wouldn't expect a child that age to manage that by themselves in the night.