HUGE potty issue! PLEASE HELP!!!

[presleycaedmon]

Ok, DS turned 5 years old yesterday. He has been potty trained since he was 2 years old. However, he's never been nighttime potty trained. When I got pregnant with DD he was 4 and had gone MONTHS w/o any day time accidents. Then, about 6 months into my pregnancy, he started having a few accidents...then a few more...then a few more. By the time I was 8 months pregnant he was in pull-ups FULL TIME!!

Now DD is 4 months old and DS is getting a little, tiny bit better but he still wears pull-ups about 85% of the time. When we're at home I leave him naked and that seems to cut down on the accidents, but even then he still has a few accidents.

WHAT DO I DO!?!?!

[presleycaedmon]

Please tell me I'm not the only mama who's gone through this?!?!

[titania]

im not sure what is going on, but--and hear me out--- sometimes a chiropractor can help in these situations. i know you probably think chiros are just for headaches and back pain, but really, they can help with a lot more than that. you might want to consider it. a woman i know used to work in a chiropractic office and they saw kids who had bed wetting and trouble with potty training. i hope he works this out before school starts! is he going this year? or home schooling? good luck!

[presleycaedmon]

We're homeschooling so that's not an issue. However, he was in pre-k last year and came home soaking wet EVERYDAY until I finally gave in and put him in pull-ups.

[Julesmom23girls]

Some kids have weak bladders my cousin was 8or 9 when she finally didn't wet the bed. That on top of having the new baby in the house has probably led to the regression. What does the dr say. I doubt there is much you can do except encourage him to get back on track at least during the day. We used a sticker reward chart w/ DD to potty train and w/ setbacks. After so many stickers for going in the potty she got to get a prize. We let her get a movie, but you can pick the prize or let him pick so he works for something he wants.

Good luck mamma, I am sure w/ your encouragement he will get back on track. I have not been in your position so I don't know what all the options are.

[presleycaedmon]

We did the sticker reward chart when we were potty training and it worked GREAT! But when we tried to do it this time around he just didn't care. I feels like he's just given up and it makes me so sad for him.

But I really can't see this being a physical problem because he went SO long being potty trained w/o any problems, kwim?

[rpg_mommy]

Potty regression is really common when a new baby arrives, even for kids who were totally PL'd. One site I looked at said that when there are new stresses in a child's life, like a new baby or starting school or moving, they may just start "forgetting" to go with so much new stuff on their mind, and to try asking him every hour or so if he needs to potty.

Good luck mama!

[skayers01]

I think I would get him out of pull ups first. In my experience working at a preschool, kids use pullups just like diapers and have no problems peeing in them. Explain to him that he's not going to wear pull ups anymore and that you're going to take him to buy some new big boy underwear and that he needs to use his potty. If my 2 year ols can understand that, your ds should have no problem with it. Take him out and him whatever pair he likes best. When you get home, put him in that bathroom every 15 minutes if you have to until he goes and then you can wait and do it every 30 minutes. You're just going to have to be consistant and retrain him basically. If he's five, it probably wont take long. He's probably just regressing, having a pregnant mommy and a new sibling can be very hard and all kids deal differently. Just try to not give him the chance to have an accident, keep taking him in there. It'll work I promise! I had a 4 year old who's parents put him in diapers and swore he wasn't potty trained. So when they left, I said Kean, let put your underwear on and you can use the potty, okay. I took him in there to try every so ofeten, and he started using the potty. He had a few #2 accidents, so we had another little chat (because heknew he could do it at home) I said " The next time you do this your cleaning it up." and he never did it again! LOL

Good luck Mama!

[momtothreeboys]

It could be medical being he was never fully night trained at 5. I would ask my ped. But as pp said potty regression is common when a baby is born so just be patient but don't give up. It is something that has to bw worked on everyday. Good thing he is homeschooled it gives you more time. Good luck and lots of hugs, It'll get better.

[presleycaedmon]

Originally Posted by skayers01 I think I would get him out of pull ups first. In my experience working at a preschool, kids use pullups just like diapers and have no problems peeing in them. Explain to him that he's not going to wear pull ups anymore and that you're going to take him to buy some new big boy underwear and that he needs to use his potty.

Ya know, this is what my gut instinct has been all along but I've had SO many people telling me to just put him in pull-ups, give him time, he'll figure it out, etc etc etc. I didn't know what to do so I just did what everyone else said to do, kwim?

My mom just bought him TONS of new underwear and sent it in a big package with a note about him being a big boy now. I think we'll have a throwing out the pull-ups ceremony today! WOO HOO! LOL (And thank the Lord too because those suckers SMELL!)

Thanks Mama's!