Walk into any school, playground, or other social setting with kids and you’ll quickly see how each child is unique in many ways. Besides the obvious differences, how they interact with and respond to others varies quite a bit. Even at home, when they’re not around their peers, kids mature at their own pace. Which is also why it’s completely normal for your child to be fully potty trained and dry during the day, but experiencing some wetness at night.
Since it occurs so often, what are we to do when trying to help our kids and educate each other? It’s not the most elegant of topics to bring up at a dinner party with other parents, and some may even feel embarrassed to mention that their kid is dealing with nighttime wetting. If nighttime wetting is going on at home, parents should always talk to their child’s pediatrician for guidance.
Dr. Heather Wittenberg is a child psychologist specializing in the development of babies and toddlers and has teamed up with GoodNites, the #1 NightTime Protection Brand to provide tips for parents of children experiencing nighttime wetting. She’s also a mother of four kids, who knows that a child’s developmental progress can be confusing.
If you’d like to know how you can #RestEasyTonight, Dr. Wittenberg (author of ‘Let’s Get this Potty Started’), has been gracious enough to suggest 6 tips for better nights to the Life of Dad audience!
Here are Dr. Wittenberg’s tips along with my personal thoughts on each one:
- Pat Yourself on the Back. If your child is dry all day, congratulations! She is on her way to becoming a big kid! If she is still wet at night, that’s ok. It’s important to know that nighttime dryness evolves naturally as your kids grows, and it can take longer for many children.
My take – patience seems to be the name of the game!
- Find the Right Nighttime Solution. There’s a better solution for your potty training graduate that can help them stay comfortable and confident at night – GoodNites NightTime Underwear. We were excited to see that Dr. Heather recommends using GoodNites, since my wife and I happily use them for our little girl to sleep in instead of waking up to change the sheets every day. This keeps stress levels low for everyone since our daughter enjoys the character themes and time spent reading nighttime stories together as we keep a positive attitude about the topic. GoodNites now come in an extra small size that offer 40% more protection than the leading training pant and are designed to fit smaller children who are potty trained during the day but still wet at night.
My take – this is a wonderful option to have. I know with our kids (and friends of ours), they always potty trained at different stages.
- Establish a Nighttime Routine. Making and sticking to a nighttime routine that works for your family can help you and your child feel more confident and comfortable at bedtime. Make a stop to the bathroom and let your child put on their GoodNites with their pjs before they head to bed.
My take – finding a routine that works was the MOST important thing that my wife and I did..
- Recognize Your Child’s Emotional Development. Your child may not see this as a big deal right now, but this is an important moment in their emotional development. Children need the support of their parents, so it’s important to openly express that support.
My take – showing our kids some understanding as they go through this process was super important.
- Let Them be KIDS. Nighttime wetting shouldn’t keep your child from being a kid. If your child wants to have a sleepover or go on overnight trips, they should! These activities teach them independence and enhance a child’s self-esteem, while also allowing them to create important memories.
My take – Our daughter isn’t at the age for sleepovers yet, but I know how stressful it can be when dealing with embarrassing issues around peers. Kids can be just plain mean, and I don’t want to be the reason my precious kid is scared to stay overnight with her friends. As adults, we know childhood comes and goes all too fast, kids need to soak it up without worrying about the little things and just focus on having fun.
- Rest Easy. Parents can rest easy knowing that every child has a different story, experience and developmental timeline, and that’s perfectly okay. In the meantime, GoodNites can help keep you and your kid confident and comfortable at night.
My take – Using GoodNites definitely allows us to relax and focus on quality time together instead of fretting over whether or not there will be an accident. Being specifically designed for nighttime protection as well as comfort, they also enable all of us not just to sleep, but sleep through the night. Not only is a good night’s sleep crucial for a growing body, us parents need it in order to have energy for the day ahead.
With my curiosity, I’m not embarrassed to bring up the topic with other parents to learn how they manage nighttime wetting with their children.
From all of the discussions, it’s easy to see we’re all in the same boat with various ways of making it upstream. Some of us move slower than others, but we’re all moving in the right direction. We are extremely happy to have GoodNites in our “boat” as we learn more about nighttime wetting and what to expect. Find what works for your family so you can do the same and #RestEasyTonight!
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a sponsored post on behalf of GoodNites and their #RestEasyTonight campaign, however the journey of fatherhood and opinions along the way are all ours! For more on GoodNites, check them our HERE, on Facebook and Twitter!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of GoodNites. The opinions and text are all mine.