Need Help...4 Yr Old Has Constant Need to Change His Underwear

Given the way it started, I would say just ignore it and he should stop soon on his own. I know it's probably irritating to have to wash underwear so often, especially when they're barely dirty. Hopefully it won't last much longer! My friend's daughter had a stomach virus when she was 4 so her mom gave her a cup to carry in case she couldn't make it to the bathroom in time. She carried the cup with her for a month! But she did finally move on. Hang in there!

not sure about boys, my 4 year old daughter does this. She once got some streaks and NOW changes every single time she goes potty. Same here, went to ped, they say no infection. So I think its mental. I have resorted to allotting her 3 pair a day, once shes out she quits changing.

I agree that it's psychological. I don't know how to "fix" it but I do think I would ignore it for the time being and just monitor to see if it does resolve on it's own. He is probably just a bit nervous having had that happen once.

One way to extinguish behavior is to completely ignore it. I suggest that he'll lose interest if you don't pay attention.

Do they make little boy boxers? He may need something looser and less clingy. You can try removing his underpants from his drawer and keeping them in your room. You could even let him go commando only to bed as long as he has PJ bottoms of some sort. Just some ideas.

I think it is tempting to label something psychological because we don't see an obvious physiological reason. There could be some sensory issues. Perhaps he is also dreaming vividly and responding as a sign that he needs to go to the bathroom. Urination is a reflex and it's possible there are some reflex integration issues. It's GREAT that you looked at the obvious signs first, but there may be more subtle issues afoot.

My little guy has to be BRIBED to wear underware.

He's KING COMMANDO.

Maybe that's the solution?

It does sound psychological. Maybe taking the underwear to the dryer for a minute and pulling it out warm will help. You could do something silly like have the dryer talk (write a letter) and say that he heard your boy was recently sick -- so he will dry the underwear especially for him for 1 min besides his other duties to the family, but only 10 or 20 times. Have a chart and mark them off. After that he has to keep them on. Disney movies do it!

I would make up the bed with a few layers that I used to use when my kids were potty training (incontinence pad, fitted sheet, incontinence pad, fitted sheet, this allows you to pull off 1 layer at night if the bed is wet to have a clean dry bed again). I would show him while you are making the bed that there is nooooo problem if he does have an accident, and assure him that having an accident when you are sick is happens to lots of boys, and that it does not mean he will have accidents when he is not sick, and that he does not have to worry that you will be upset if for any reason the sheets get wet. And let him know it is OK if he wants to change his underpants but that he does not have to. Then ignore his changing of underpants.

My son is 4 1/2 and we are getting away from this same issue. It started when he started going to bed without a diaper (at his request just after 4 and some months) He had a couple of accidents of course, but then it phased towards what I call "the squirt". He would immediately wake up to the urge and get to the bathroom, but had slightly leaked in his underwear. He was embarrassed. I did not find the underwear to be unusable at all, and the bed was dry...not selling it to him. I gave up the fight, and left a supply of "unders" in the bathroom to change if he felt it necessary. It has drastically improved perhaps just over time, but also he had the control to make things right in his mind. I would try to give him the control. Initially it means a bit more silly laundry, but giving some dry pairs in a place that he can access in the bathroom may help.

Try not to make a big deal about it....it will pass! :)

I would ignore it completely, absolutely completely, for a few weeks and see if it doesn't go away. Don't talk about to him, ask him about it, anything. Pretend like it doesn't even happen.

I'd send him to bed at least commando-- there's no need to wear undies AND PJs. Or maybe give him a nice fuzzy blankie and let him sleep naked for a couple of nights