My 7-year-old still wets the bed. It used to worry me a lot. She would wear nappies. I would prod her in the night to check whether she was wet or dry. I would try to wake her up to ask whether she needed the toilet. I was ashamed and rarely talked about it to other mums.
As soon as I accepted the fact she couldn’t feel it happening at night and she simply wasn’t ready to be dry at night, it felt as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Switching from nappies to DryNites® also changed things for us. She wasn’t wearing nappies any longer. Instead, she had her own highly absorbent underwear.
Beanie has been using DryNites® for about four months now and she absolutely loves them. She calls them her ‘pyjama pants’ and won’t let her younger sisters use them.
They are designed to look and feel like real underwear, and she likes that. They absorb a lot of urine, and she does pee a lot at night, believe me! They really help her manage that bedwetting phase she doesn’t seem to be growing out of.
What do we love most about DryNites®?
- They have five layers so there’s definitely maximum protection.
- They are age-appropriate (Beanie has just turned 7).
- They’re discreet and they have stretchy sides, which make them easy to take on and off to go to the toilet.
Can Children Be Trained out of Bedwetting?
My little girl is 7 years old. Like a lot of parents, I really thought she could be trained out of bedwetting. She can’t.
Bedwetting is a developmental phase. It is a normal part of growing up and it will pass with time.
Did you know that bedwetting affects more than 900,000 children and young people in the UK?
Beanie is not alone!
By the age of 12, 97% of children will have stopped wetting the bed, and most children will naturally grow out of the bedwetting phase in their own time.
What is it Like for Beanie?
My little girl is a very clever little girl. She is sporty and oozes confidence. She’s so happy in her own skin she doesn’t actually care about the fact she needs DryNites® at night. She still goes for sleepovers and she doesn’t mind her friends seeing that she’s wearing DryNites®. I am so proud of her self-confidence and no-nonsense approach to everything.
What is it Like as a Parent?
I have said that before: I didn’t use to deal really well with Beanie’s night-time wetting. I would moan when I was washing her bottom in the morning. It felt like I was trying everything yet she was making no effort to stop peeing in her sleep. I I even shouted at her a couple of times. I even declared last year: “We won’t go to Disneyland Paris if you keep wetting the bed.” It made no difference. She couldn’t help it!
I think it’s crucial for parents to understand that. My past reaction is something I’m really ashamed of. I wasn’t a particularly good mummy about it. I wasn’t happy with her and I was making her feel guilty for something she had no control over.
I’m glad DryNites® asked me to work with them. They have taught me that bedwetting is not something you can be trained out of and I think it’s a really important message. Because bedwetting is not something people tend to talk about, there are misconceptions about it and when you’re not informed, you just want to fit within a mould, be like everyone else. Need a bit of a reality check? Bedwetting a normal part of growing up. Beanie is fine.
It will pass with time and hopefully, with the right tools and the right knowledge, we’ll be able to manage that night-time wetting.
Bedwetting can be stressful, but knowing she can’t help it makes it easier to relate. She’s not doing because she’s lazy or she wants to annoy us. She’s wetting the bed because she can’t help it. My 7-year-old still wets the bed (well, her DryNites®) and she’s fine.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DryNites® but all photos and opinions are my own. For a free sample and to find help and advice on managing the bedwetting stage, click here.
A great way to end bedwetting permanently in children is to use a bedwetting alarm. These small devices help train the brain and create a brain-bladder communication. One Stop Bedwetting carries a large variety of bedwetting alarms for children, teens and adults and they ship all over the world. Plus you get their unlimited specialist support
I’ve heard about those actually but we haven’t tried one yet. Thanks for the advice.
If the bedwetting alarm is one in which an alarm sounds when the electronic undersheet detects liquid, I would not recommend them at all. They wake not only the child but also the entire household with a fright due to the loud noise which, in the dark, takes a few moments to recognise and process. What is more, the child is not going to stop mid flow.
An unexpected and unwelcome outcome of bedwetting alarms could very well be long-term sleep difficulties lasting into adulthood.
You are right not to be worried as Beanie is just 7 years old. She will grow out of it in her own time.
Thanks Susan. Well, I’m glad I haven’t tried one of those alarms. She is so confident, bless her. It makes the whole thing a lot less of an issue, really!
Hi
When your child was wearing nappies at night at 7 years old, what brand of disposables were you using?
Was it the conventional tape on disposables?
My 6 year old insists on wearing a nappy at night still as he wets the bed, hence i wondered what brand you used.
Kind regards
Brett
Hi, she’s now 10 and because of the enuresis, she still wears ‘pyjama pants.’ We’ve tried a few options but the best ones are DryNites in my opinion. I buy them in bulk on Amazon as it’s the cheapest way to do it.
5 year old Danielle is a very happy and smiley little girl who enjoys dancing and singing, also going to her infant school with her older brother jackson who’s 8. Danielle also enjoys wearing nappies because of her bladder infection. She gets excited when it’s time to change her nappy.
Susan B awe thank you for the lovely comment 5 year old Charlotte still likes wearing nappies and she very rarely complains about it she does get excited when i say charlotte nappy time and she comes running into the house smiling happily and lays down on the changing mat and lets me slip a nappy on her.
Brett Thank you for the good question i like to use Huggies nappies on charlotte because they are not bulky and hold in the urine as well as being super absorbent and comfortable on charlotte. Your 4 year old son ethan is a very cute little boy he really wants to keep wearing nappies for a little while longer. And i would like to keep him as a baby. Ethan is my son now my daughter charlotte has a new baby brother to play with.
5 year old Danielle is a very happy and smiley little girl who enjoys dancing and singing, also going to her infant school with her older brother jackson who’s 8. Danielle also enjoys wearing nappies because of her bladder infection. She gets excited when it’s time to change her nappy.
Mel no her new name is charlotte and she’s 5 years old and still wearing nappies. I am sorry but charlotte must come with me now.
Beanie is a very beautiful little 3 year old girl who’s still enjoying wearing nappies and she will continue to be wearing them for as long as possible until i am ready to potty train her. Her 5 year old sister is now wearing nappies and loving it. Two very beautiful little angels back to wearing baby nappies i think it’s for the best they keep enjoying the regression of being babies again.
I was 16 before I stopped wetting the bed and my son a year later at 17 in my day then there was nothing out there to put on to help keep the bed dry except a rubber sheet you put on to stop the bed from being wet but every night I went to the toilet and in the morning I would wake up having slept in a puddle of pee .my son would have his sheet changed half way through the night my wife and I would take it in turns to change his sheet! My youngest son was 7 when he stopped wetting the bed but we were able to buy nappies for him nowadays the convenience of dri nights are a boost to the childs morale and self esteem .it is just a matter of time until your child becomes dry at night (unless your child ha a medical problem.) It’s just a matter of time it’s not the child’s fault they are not being lazy or naughty and the child cannot help it!. Patience and kindness and support is the best therapy to boost the child’s morale and self esteem and always make sure the child showers before school as stale urine smells and kids can be cruel.