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A challenge for preschoolers
Daytime wetting commonly occurs in children ages 3 to 5 who have been successfully toilet trained. More girls than boys have the problem. For these children, using the toilet is no longer novel and praiseworthy. Instead, it's a routine expectation — one that children may not always worry about meeting. That's when accidents occur.
Preschool children are so intent on exploring and doing things that they can choose to ignore their bodies' signals, opting to "hold it" until a more convenient time. This strategy works for a while, but children who wait too long experience an involuntary muscle contraction that empties the bladder. The result — wet pants.
Putting off a trip to the bathroom is probably the most common cause of daytime wetting among preschoolers. Some other possible behavioral causes include:
Excessive laughter or excitement
Stressful events, such as the birth of a sibling or a pending trip to the hospital
Fear of using public restrooms
Over-consumption of foods or beverages that have caffeine and artificial sweeteners
Use scheduling, support and instruction
Treatment for daytime wetting varies, depending on your child's age and the frequency of accidents. Experiment with the options listed below, along with any others recommended by your child's doctor.
Schedule toilet trips. Ask children to use the bathroom every two hours while they're awake.
Remind your child. Suggest that your child urinate at other regular times — for example, just before boarding the school bus or getting in the car. Allow extra time for this.
A schedule of bathroom trips after each of the three daily meals, at bedtime, and at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. works for many children.
Help your child relax. Encourage children to relax their pelvic muscles when going to the bathroom. Also, tell them to take their time and make sure their bladder is fully emptied.
Involve teachers. "We work hard to send letters to teachers to make sure that children stay on a timed bathroom schedule," says Douglas Husmann, M.D., a pediatric urologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "If children have wetting episodes more frequently than every two hours, they usually need to be on medications so that they can make the two-hour intervals." It's a good idea to have a change of underwear and clothing available at school if this is a frequent problem.
Observe your child. Look for the telltale signs of holding it. If your child fidgets, squirms, squats or holds the genital area, an immediate trip to the bathroom is in order.
Keep a diary. It may be helpful for you to record your child's bathroom habits on a calendar or diary. This will be a helpful aid in understanding your child's daytime wetting problems.
Minimize childhood stresses. Help your child find ways to manage or avoid stressful situations that increase the likelihood of accidents.
Teach your child to use public toilets. Some children may feel more comfortable using public restrooms if you show them how to clean the toilet seat.
Respond matter-of-factly to wet pants. When it happens, most children already feel ashamed. So bypass scolding. Say something like, "This happens to kids your age." Or: "You just forgot this time. Let's remember, so it doesn't happen again."
Encourage your child to change. Rather than ignore wet clothes, your child should put on dry underwear and clothing.
Try disposable pull-ups. For embarrassing daytime bladder problems, your child may benefit from using absorbent underpants to stay dry and odor-free in case they have an accident.
Avoid punishment. Children don't wet themselves in order to aggravate or disobey you. Wetting often happens when children are absorbed in activities that — for the moment — are more interesting than going to the bathroom.
In most children, daytime wetting results from causes that are easy to identify and simple to treat. Over time, the problem often disappears. Your patience and help can make that happen even sooner.
When to call for help
If you or your children are worried about daytime wetting at any time, don't hesitate to contact your doctor. He or she can help you determine the cause and recommend some treatment options.
HTH ... there are so many other reasons that it may be happening but more often than not it is due to being "too busy" to go. Emma went through this stage for a few months but I then put her on a strict toilet timetable!!! I told her when she was to go to the toilet and made a big deal of it all again and she soon got back in the habit of going when she needed to. Jack was the same, this is why I used pull ups ... he would wear them if we were going out just so I wouldn't have to worry about getting him changed straight away. I would always say the same things when we got home if he was wet ... "Oops we forgot to go again ... next time when you need to do wees you have to tell Mummy". He soon sorted it out. 