4yo - won't wear nightime nappies - but always wet - now going on holiday!

[TracyK]

ds has been complaining on and off for a month or so now that he is 'a big boy' and doesn't want to wear nappies to bed. I've cut out his milk before bed and he his nappies are still wet - but maybe only 1 pee worth by morning.

2 nights ago - he was quite adamant that he wanted to try and go without a nappy. I put a towel etc under his sheets and thought I'd give it a go. He is still wet in the morning - but he says he just has one pee - just as he wakes up.

I'm ok about carrying on trying here - but do you think I should pop him back into nappies when we are on hols next week? or just take a mattress protector with us? I'm sure he'll be so tired at night he'll sleep late in the mornings and ultimately pee the bed.

What a hassle.

He doesn't sound like he's ready to go without nappies at night - which is perfectly normal in a 4-year-old.

Is the wee wet when you get up? That would let you know if he is peeing first thing in the morning. Is he unhappy about being wet in the morning?

I'd try:

1. Buying 'interesting' nappies? Pull-ups? Ones with characters on it?
2. Seeing if you can find an example of an older or same-age boy who also wears nappies at night(lie about it? point out a random boy from a distance?)
3. Lift him when you go to bed, so his bladder empties
4. Make sure there's a pot in his room.
5. Say he can go without nighttime nappies when his nappy is dry in the morning (which is the sensible way round to do it!)

I would go back to nappies for the holiday - you aren't going to be able to handle washing bedding everyday probably. Also you don't want to risk soaking the mattress - IME the protectors don't always work.

Explain that - and say when you get back he can give up nappies forever.

Thanks NQC - I'm not sure if the wee is wet when he gets up as he comes upstairs to our room and gets into our bed - so I don't see his bed till later.

I had been saying that he couldn't go without nappies till it was dry 3 mornings in a row - but then he said he just wee'd in the nappy 'cos it was on' (iykwim) - so I thought he was being lazy and by going without it would make him more 'aware'.

I'm worried that if I put him back in nappies - he'll think it's 'punishment' for having a wee. iykwim.

I think it's his gp's/big cousins that tell him he 'shouldn't be in nappies' and gets him worked up grrrr!

Wake him up at about 11pm and take him for a wee. It's the only thing that stops my 5 year old wettng the bed.

I use pampers bed mats They go under the sheet but keep the matress dry

MT so does a plastic sheet, and they're not £5 a week.

ok. just responded to op - ds hates me on computer!

Thanks girls. I opted for a waterproof terry toweling sheet thingy from Mothercare and a packet of the pampers pads.
I would wake him at 11 - but I'm in bed for 10ish - and his last wee would have been at 7.30 - so not sure much would come out at 10.
I'll persevere and see how it goes with the towelling sheet thingy.
I'm sure I've heard about pj bottoms with a pad in it - will google for that too - it may fool him for a while longer!

Try him at10 then. It could change your life!