Almost 3yr old playing with himself at night = wet bed, pjs everything help!

[JBB]

Hi everyone

Has anyone else had any experience of this - my son is almost 3 and is one of those "if it's accessible I will play with it" with his winkie - he keeps waking up wet because he has fiddled with himself and then fallen asleep, willie pointing the wrong way and hey presto, wet pjs, sheet, duvet, sometimes even pillow... total nightmare and a horrible way for him to wake up (and me having to do all that washing!).

We have resorted to putting him in babygrows so he can't get into his nappy but he worked out how to undo them, so now I have to put it on him backwards and even sew them up to halfway up the back so he can't get his hands in! Sounds terrible I know, but really desperate and don't know what else to do. My elder son has never done this, but junior just can't help himself!

If anyone has any suggestions I would be most grateful!! Many thanks in advance.

I am not an expert either, Mrsjammi, but I also sympathise with the extra washing, makes for hard work, and agree with your thoughts about the pulling at willies.

All of us who are mothers of boys know about the playing with their winkies, I think we just have to let them get on with it!

JJB, after he's gone to sleep could you creep into his room and put his nappy back on, without waking him up? My dc sleep like logs, after they've gone to sleep something like this wouldn't disturb them.

Cor, no experience of this, DS2 is a real willy fanatic (he is obsessed) but has never done this at bedtime.
I agree it is making his willy seem even more alluring (forbidden fruit and all that).
You could try lifting him before you go to bed?
I agree with MrsJammi about just using a waterproof cover as well.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions, they are really helpful. I agree that it's wrong to stop him playing, it's only natural and as such it's not really that I object to, more the smell of wee in the morning and the sodden bed! He has a mattress protector under the sheet so it is purely the PJs, sheet, duvet cover (and often the actual duvet) that take the brunt.

I think perhaps I will put him back into PJs (it makes me cringe too Mrsjammi, in fact almost cry!) and see what happens, last time he managed a couple of dry weeks before it all started again. I will try putting him on a bed mat over the mattress protector (don't want him to get all hot and sticky, both my sons get hot easily) and also try checking/changing him as I go to bed - all makes such obvious sense now but as I am sure you all know, when you are in the thick of it you just can't think what to do!! Thanks so much for all your suggestions, will let you know how we get on! xx

Also I am hoping to potty train him over the Easter half term as it's a good 2 weeks so hopefully this will help too! xx

Maybe try to explain to him that it's important to put his willy back in his nappy and point it downwards when he's finished playing, to stop his bed getting all wet and yukky? If you show him he might get your drift-worth a shot?

Hmm yes have tried but yes will try again, hopefully eventually he'll get the idea! I was totally unprepared for such a fiddler as ds1 has never had a problem... yet! LOL! xx

Why not just check his nappy just after his fallen asleep or before you go to bed and pop his willy back in position if need be?

As for waterproof sheets, the best advice we found was from Gina Ford of all people: to put double sheets on the bed, i.e. two layers of waterproof and normal sheeting. That way you can just rip the top layer off if he wets himself at night without having to make up the bed again. I think the idea of just sleeping on a waterproof sheet is horrible-his little face might end up sticking to it and it would get really messy without a cotton sheet to soak up all the wee, no?

Aha - luxury waterproofs! We only have the basic budget ones - quilted ones sound fab, might invest...

Thanks - I shall investigate...

Dunelm do the quilted waterproof sheets.

DS (4) is still wet most nights and hasn't worn a nappy for over a year so I've got very used to dealing with this.

I've given up on pillows because they just take too long to dry, especially as I don't have a tumble drier so use several small cushions inside a pillowcase or a rolled up towel. Duvets are also hard to dry so I stick to using only the thin one we have and mainly use fleece blankets or throws.

A friend had a similar problem and after trying all of the above to get him to put it back in his nappy etc she put a pretty pink swimsuit under his jim jams - He is never stopped from fiddling with his "bits and pieces" at any other time, his parents have ( now that he is a little bit older) had a chat with him about how its something everybody does and feels very nice, but is not necessarily something that we do or talk about in front of guests or granny As such he doesn't feel ashamed / uncomfortable about it, but realises it is a bit "taboo" and keeps it for himself in his room.

I don't honestly think that stopping him from doing it now means that he will consider it "dirty" or whatever and to be honest I think if the result of his tinkering each time is a wet smelly bed, that in itself is more likely to make him feel that way about it.

good luck with whatever you try!!