Why more drinks, not fewer, make potty training easier
Cutting drinks to cut accidents is a common instinct, and it tends to backfire. Here’s what the guidance recommends instead.
When the washing pile grows, cutting back on drinks can seem like the obvious fix. It’s one of the most common potty-training mistakes, and UK guidance points the other way.
How much is enough?
ERIC recommends that children have 6 to 8 glasses of water or water-based drinks a day, spread through the day. Water is the best choice. Milk in moderation is fine, as is well-diluted squash, preferably sugar-free. ERIC notes that blackcurrant squash can irritate the bladder, and NHS bedwetting advice suggests avoiding drinks with caffeine in them.
Why cutting drinks backfires
- Soft poos need fluid. The first thing NHS constipation advice says is to make sure your child has plenty to drink, and constipation is one of the biggest hidden blockers in potty training.
- Restricting doesn’t fix wetting. NICE’s bedwetting guidance stresses that children need to drink enough, and NHS advice is to give your child enough water during the day.
- Regular wees give your child practice. A child who drinks well has a steady run of chances to notice the feeling and get to the potty.
Making drinking easy (and fun)
ERIC has plenty of practical ideas:
- Draw lines on a water bottle to show how much to drink by different times of day.
- Add ice cubes or slices of fruit, or let your child choose a fun cup or straw.
- Let them fill their own cup from a jug or tap they can reach.
- Try a play tea set for younger children. Pretend tea parties with real water count.
- Sugar-free jelly contains water too.
Reward the drinking, not the dryness
NICE says rewards should be for behaviour a child can control, such as drinking enough, rather than for outcomes like dry nights. ERIC publishes a free drinking reward chart built on exactly this idea. It gives your child something positive to aim for that’s within their power.
What about before bed?
A common approach, and one ERIC suggests, is to have the last drink about an hour before bed and a wee just before sleep. The NHS includes a wee just before bedtime in the 4 to 7 toilet trips it suggests each day. The key is that this works alongside drinking well during the day. It doesn’t replace it.
In the US
US guidance usually gives fluid amounts in cups and varies them by age and size. If you’re unsure how much is right for your child, ask your pediatrician. The principle is the same: offer water regularly and don’t restrict it to prevent accidents.
When to get help
If your child seems very thirsty all the time, is weeing much more than usual, or seems unwell, see your GP (or paediatrician) promptly.
Sources
- ERIC: How to get kids to drink more water
- ERIC, The Children’s Bowel & Bladder Charity: Potty training
- ERIC: Drinking reward chart
- NHS: Bedwetting in children
- NHS: Constipation in babies and children
- NICE CG111: Bedwetting in under 19s
This post is general information based on the published guidance above, not medical advice. Every child is different. If you’re worried about your child, speak to your GP, health visitor or paediatrician.