From: jws@hp835.mitek.com (Jeanetha Wemken)
Subject: Re: Question on nighttime toilet training
Keywords: staying dry night
Organization: OpenConnect Systems, Dallas, TX
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 19:22:00 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.172124.8499@cbfsb.cb.att.com> gbk@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (g.b.karlovsky) writes:
>My daughter Adrienne has been trying to toilet train for probably
>3/4 of a year due to motivation at daycare.  About 3 weeks ago, we
>noticed that on weekends she would inevitably stay dry, and about
>75% of the time she would stay dry at night as well.
>
>So the good news is that she has been in underwear for a week.
>She hasn't had any accidents during the day and was dry at night
>for 4 nights in a row...  so when she wanted to be put in underwear
>at night, we said okay.  That was probably 5 nights ago.  She has
>had accidents twice, at night only, and the thing that confuses
>me is that she doesn't wake up.  She wets a little bit, but usually 
>enough to get whatever she is laying on...  the first night that was 
>bedclothes, sheet, pillowcase AND pillow (ARGH) and protective mattress
>pad.  The second time it was bedclothes, sheet, two blankets (one for
>comfort, one for warmth) and protective mattress pad.
>
>She is very proud that she is underwear, I think it would disappoint her
>alot to go back in diapers or pullups (she sees them the same) even for
>just nights.  I notice NO difference in her drinking habits between when
>she stays dry and when she does not, and she always goes to the bathroom
>immediately before bed (sometimes more than once).
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions?
>
>Also, though she is wearing underwear, it seems we have to remind her 
>to go to the bathroom alot, and I was curious what peoples opinions
>were on whether we should stop reminding her and give her a chance
>to show us she know when to go or have an accident, or whether it's more
>important to help her remember and thus give her a little more self 
>confidence before we put the responsibility entirely on her shoulders.
>

Gail,

I can just tell you what we did (I did) when we went through this stage just
about three months ago with Laura Jean (just now three).

She was much like you Adrienne in that she loved the idea of "big girl"
panties.  I very much hated changing sheets twice or three times a week.

My husband was traveling a lot during this period of time which left all
the parenting decisions up to me, as well as all the "bed changing".  I did
have a waterproof protective mattress cover under the sheets, but this
only called for more items that had to be washed, dryed, and put back on
the bed before bedtime.  

I decided to do this:  I continued to let Laura Jean wear her "big girl"
panties to bed and praised her as much as I could on the positive side
when she did stay dry.  I then sat my alarm for around 3:00am and as
quietly and kindly as I could got Laura Jean up and sat her on the potty.
She was most cooperative in "letting the tinkle out of her body" so that
we could go back to bed.  In the morning, when the bed was still dry she
was praised more for keeping the bed dry and "the tinkle in her body while
she slept".  This lasted for about a month - I was concerned that I was 
the one that was being "trained" but I tapered off (mostly on weekends, 
when changing sheets isn't such a bother), and now we let her sleep through 
the night - OR she does get up (and gets us up) to potty in the night.  

...I think we are "home free" in the night time potty arena... but it is
always one challenge after another.  She had her last "accident" Sat.
night while we were at one of thoes "arcade/playground/pizza places"(read
Chuck E. Cheeses) and she was having too much fun to stop playing to go
potty.  Later she told me, "they didn't have a potty there".  Oh, well...

Jeanetha - Mom to Gregg(19) and Laura Jean(3)
-- 
Jeanetha Wemken                       OpenConnect Systems, Inc.
Internal Gateway Services             2711 LBJ Freeway, Suite 800
jws@hp835.oc.com                      Dallas, Texas  75243
Voice: (214) 888-0465                 FAX: (214) 888-0686
Newsgroups: misc.kids