Parenting Tips for Your 45-46 Month Old Child
Nighttime bedwetting is very common among preschoolers:
- Staying dry at night often happens a year later than staying dry in the daytime.
- Bedwetting affects over 20% of three to four year olds.
- Boys are twice as likely to wet the bed as girls.
- Children are more likely to bed-wet if a parent also wet the bed as a child.
- Bedwetting by preschoolers generally goes away on its own.
Patience and understanding are the best things to offer young children who wet the bed. Most bedwetting will end, as your child gets older. Until that happens, you might try the following:
- Remind your child to use the toilet before bed.
- Protect the mattress with a waterproof mattress pad.
- Children need fluids daily for growth and development, but give a small amount of water before bedtime.
- When wetting happens a lot, use disposable “underwear” to avoid the mess and fuss of wet clothing and bedding.
There is not a lot known about why children wet the bed. We do know that children who wet the bed at night have two things in common:
- They need to urinate or go pee-pee at night.
- They do not wake up when they need to go.
Remember your child is not doing this on purpose. Children do not want to be uncomfortable or be teased because they wet the bed.
Learn more about Your Child: 45-46 Months from Just In Time Parenting. You can also go to our Resource Links for additional information on child care and development.
