GET THEE TO THE POTTY!

I still wake my daughter up to tinkle in the middle of the night...no, not the middle of the night, but a few hours after she goes to bed which is usually right before I go to bed which really IS sometimes in the middle of the night...oh, dear...(I swear my daughter isn't up nearly as late as I am - 8:30pm sharp is bedtime for the kidlets in this household!)...

Anyways, it's not always easy waking up a child from a deep, sweet slumber. When I first try to wake M up, my gaze is usually met by her blank stare. If she does wake up easily, then the whole "get outta bed, go pee, wash hands and give another kiss good night" routine is a breeze. But, easy isn't always the case...

One night she took off her PJ bottoms in bed and sat there.

One night she told me that her room was already clean.

One night she looked at me and rolled over.

One night she got out of bed, but sat at her desk.

One night she went to the bathroom, but didn't put the toilet lid up.

One night she told me she was done. (done doing what?)

Tonight, she walked to the television and tried to turn it on.

She's eight. Bed wetting isn't a nightly occurance, but my desire to never buy GoodNites or Underjams again is making me stay in this routine (and it's been about 2 months since I last purchased either product). We have established some ground rules:

• Last call for milk, juice or water comes at an early time in our household if you're 8 years old.
• Peeing in the potty is a mandatory task after brushing your teeth at night.
• And, being woken up by mom (or dad) just a few hours after going to sleep has become the norm.

Will she grow out of this? I hope so. Do I think it's because she's such a deep sleeper? Yes. Have I become concerned enough to consult our pediatrician? Not yet. We have more dry nights than we do wet nights. With this new routine, we've gone nearly a week so far without any bed wetting...5 days is our record...and we celebrate dry nights.

So, moms out there with children older than mine who have "been there, done that"...give me some advice. Do I really need that bed wetting alarm thing? When does bed wetting become a problem? Are we already too far gone? HELP!