Beyond Upset

[logged out for privacy]

DCG will be 4 in one month. She has been potty trained and in underwear for 1 year now.

DCG and my daughter are good friends. I have had DCG since she was 15 months and the girls have basically grown up together. My younger DCK's lay down for nap 30 minutes before my daughter and DCG lay down as they are the oldest and do not sleep as long. After I lay the DCKs down for nap I clean up from lunch while DCG and my daughter play in her bedroom (to them this is incredibly special and because of their relationship it is something I am okay with. The way my house is set up I can see and hear both girls while they are playing and I am cleaning up the kitchen from lunch).

Anyway DCG peed on the floor in my daughter's room! I am beyond upset. The bathroom is right next to my daughter's room. Literally the doorway to my daughter's room and the doorway to the bathroom are *maybe* 3 feet apart. The bathroom was/is clean, is it stocked with proper supplies and is equipped with kids friendly potty stuff. Why oh why would she pee on the floor?! She goes any other time she has to go. I asked her why and she immediately starting crying and responded because she didn't hold her bladder. The bathroom was available, there was no need to pee on the floor. Sigh.

How would you handle this situation? Is there even anything to do? I wold except this behavior from a child was was newly potty trained. Not from an almost 4 year old who has been potty trained for 1 year now. There will certainly be no more playing in the bedroom after lunch.

[Rockgirl]

I have kids who occasionally just wait too long, and have an accident....I wouldn't read too much into one time. Did she wet her pants, and it went onto the floor, or did she actually pull her pants down and pee directly on the floor?

[Thriftylady]

Is it possible she just got so into whatever they were playing she slipped up? I only ask because I have seen that happen before. I would let her know it is not okay to do that, and that she must use the potty when she needs to. Hopefully that will fix it. I might also ask mom if it has been happening at home.

[daycare]

i have 5yr olds this happens to.....accidents happen that is why they are called accidents...

I would tell her make sure you listen to your body, clean it up and not say a word.

I can only imagine that she must feel some embarrassment and stress from this happening.

When it happens to my PT kids they are so worried that someone else will find out about it and they are just mortified. I always tell them it's ok, even happen to me a few times in my life...


edit to add, if it were a behavior thing, then my response would be different, but if this is the first time something like this has happened, then let it go....chalk it up to being what it is, an accident

[Play Care]

I have kids who occasionally just wait too long, and have an accident....I wouldn't read too much into one time. Did she wet her pants, and it went onto the floor, or did she actually pull her pants down and pee directly on the floor?

This. The only way I would be upset and feel it were something to be handled is if she purposely copped a squat on the floor (in which case that would be the last time she got special privileges for a while) Otherwise I'd make sure she went to the bathroom after lunch for a while.

[jenboo]

This is a common age where they don't want to stop playing and go to the bathroom. I wouldn't make a big deal of it. I would have her help clean up the carpet and have a quick talk about making sure we listen to our bodies. I also wouldn't have your daughter around for this.

[Unregistered]

I wouldn't be too upset with them. Just think, one year of being trained and she has an accident. I have been trained for 30 years and I there are still times when I am rushing like race horse to the bathroom. Of course, two kids makes one's bladder a little weaker, but my point is that it can happen to anyone, any age, depending on the situation. She was upset, so she obviously didn't mean to, so I wouldn't make her feel any worse about it. Just an accident.

[Silly Songs]

Awww I'm sure she was embarrassed . Let it go .

[Onawhim]

Let it go, my dd was 6 last summer and had a accident. They are called accidents for a reason... It happened, move on. She was probably super embarrassed.

[Unregistered]

Happens to my 8 year old more than I care to admit. He waits until the last possible second and at least weekly doesn't make it. Always when he is playing.

[daycarediva]

Accidents happen. That's pretty common, especially if she didn't want to stop playing during a special time.

[Unregistered]

Kids will hold it many times thinking they can hold it forever. It's very common. Sometimes they are so involved with play they just just don't want to stop to use the bathroom. Generally it's upsetting for them.