Daytime wetting

I had a desperate email from a mother about her 5yr old son who continues to wet every day. This is what she wrote:

“I am losing my mind and am now teary with the relentless battle of dealing with wet clothing every day and that he always has a urine odour about him. We started toilet training around 2yrs of age and he got the poos fine but alas he will NEVER go for a wee on his own volition. The only way we can have a dry day is if we take him to the toilet every 2hrs but that is not completely fool proof and he will still have wee accidents. It has become a battle as he will resist going saying he doesn’t need.

I have tried positive, reinforcement with reward chart, instant incentives, delayed incentives, ignoring, calm discussions (as well as a few where I’ve blown my top cos I’m so worn down). We even created a knicker fairy (who collects dry undies and leaves a treat) but nothing seems to work.

I bought a vibrating watch to remind him to go but he was able to cancel the alarm and he lost it so that was a fail.

During one of our chats he disclosed that he doesn’t feel the need to pee. To make matters worse he’s completed unbothered about being wet, chaffing in his groin and thigh area. He will happily stay in sodden wet clothes.

I’m beyond thinking this is purely resistance to stop what he’s doing and go for a wee but I’m at my wits end.

On assessment it was clear that he was a very busy active boy who did everything in a ‘rush’ including doing his wee’s. Mum described him as being in TOP GEAR all the time from the minute he opened his eyes. Poos were different because he actually had to sit down whereas with wee’s he would just run in, stand to wee, do it as quick as to relief his bladder. He was only partially emptying his bladder and doing what I call “PIT STOP WEE”S”.

After a few appointments over a period of four months he was the BOSS of his Bladder and rarely had wee accidents. The toilet battles were no more and a much happier relationship between mother and son.