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Urinary incontinence during the day

Daytime incontinence: When children lose urine during the day

For children, it is very important to stay dry and to be able to control their bladder and bowel function. When urine leakage occurs during the day (or stool leakage as well), it can be distressing and may unfortunately also lead to feelings of shame or teasing.

Many children learn to control their bladder well by the age of four. If a child repeatedly wets themselves after that, even though they should already be dry, it can be uncomfortable for the whole family. Often, the topic is kept quiet out of embarrassment — but you are not alone in this.

Important: Your child is not doing this on purpose

If a child wets themselves during the day, there is almost always a reason for it, and it is rarely due to “laziness.” Possible causes may include physical factors, bladder control that is not yet fully mature, unhelpful toilet habits, constipation, or stress and emotional strain. An uncontrollable bladder can significantly affect your child’s quality of life, which is why good, respectful support is so important.

The first step: Have the causes checked

The first step should be to clarify together with your pediatrician why the urine leakage is happening. This makes it possible to decide which treatment or training will help your child best. A medical assessment is important so your child can receive the right support.

We are here to support you

We support you with suitable products that make everyday life easier and give your child more confidence — for example, absorbent underwear that helps keep clothing reliably dry at school and avoids embarrassing situations.

Depending on the situation, aids such as a reminder watch for drinking and toilet times may also be helpful. And if your child needs to practise noticing when their bladder is full, a daytime alarm can support the training.

If your child wets the bed at night, you can find help on our page about bedwetting. Sometimes it is recommended to treat daytime incontinence first and then address nighttime bedwetting in a targeted way.

How many children have problems with incontinence?

About 10% of kindergarten-aged children still experience urine leakage during the day – that is roughly two children per group/class. Fortunately, many children outgrow this issue over time. As a parent, you can support your child well so that everyday life becomes easier and the problem feels less burdensome.

What is especially important is to clarify the causes of the incontinence. Only then can it be decided which support and training are best suited for your child.

Why do children wet themselves during the day?

In the past, daytime incontinence in children was sometimes too quickly attributed to psychological causes. However, this is only rarely the case. Much more often, there are physical or functional reasons, for example:

Constipation: A full bowel can put pressure on the bladder and increase the urge to urinate.
Overactive bladder: The bladder signals “full” very quickly, even when it does not yet contain much urine.
Holding it in too long: Some children are so absorbed in playing that they ignore the signal to go to the toilet or “forget” to go in time.
Urinary tract infection: This can lead to frequent urges to urinate and small urine leakages.

Special form: “Giggle incontinence”
Some children lose urine when laughing hard. This is unpleasant, but treatable. Pelvic floor training and targeted exercises often help best, ideally guided by healthcare professionals.

More about daytime wetting

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Drinking and toilet habits: the foundation of healthy toilet behaviour

For healthy toilet habits, it is important that children drink enough during the day. Even so, many families regularly deal with wet trousers, small urine spots, or stool stains in the underwear. Some children also wet the bed at night.

Urine and stool leakage can be very distressing for children. Shame, insecurity, or even teasing are unfortunately possible. That is why it is important not to ignore the issue, but to address it early — calmly, respectfully, and without pressure.

Why does this happen so often in everyday life?
Children often do not take enough time on the toilet. For example, because they want to get back to playing quickly. As a result, the bladder may not empty completely. These factors can also play a role:

The child sits in an awkward position or not long enough on the toilet.
The child holds urine for too long.
The child waits until the very last moment and sometimes does not make it in time.

This can lead to urine leakage or, over time, even bladder problems.

When the urge to have a bowel movement is ignored
Some children ignore the urge to have a bowel movement because they do not feel like going to the toilet — or because they do not like sitting on unfamiliar toilets (for example at school). This can lead to constipation. And constipation, in turn, increases the risk of urine leakage, because a full bowel can put pressure on the bladder.

Practical tips for home (without pressure)

Spread drinking throughout the day: It is better to drink small amounts regularly than to “catch up” on everything in the evening.
Introduce fixed toilet times: For example after getting up, before kindergarten/school, after lunch, and before bedtime.
Use “toilet breaks” instead of discussions: Give short, friendly reminders (“toilet check”) without scolding or threatening.
Allow enough time: It is better to sit calmly on the toilet for 1–2 minutes so the bladder can really empty completely.
Good sitting position: Feet should be placed firmly on the floor (or on a stool if needed), back relaxed, not “dangling in the air.” This makes emptying easier.
Do not wait when there is an urge to pass stool: Regular bowel movements also help the bladder. Constipation can make urine leakage worse.
Praise instead of control: Small successes count (for example, “You told us in time”). This strengthens self-confidence.
Use aids if they help: Absorbent underwear for confidence when out and about, a reminder watch for drinking and toilet moments, or — depending on the situation — daytime alarm training to help the child better notice when the bladder is full.

Frequent urge to urinate (needing to go to the toilet very often)

Some children need to go to the toilet very frequently during the day — sometimes almost every hour. They constantly feel that they need to go “urgently.” They do not do this because they like going, but because the bladder sends a signal very early.

When a child goes very often, the amounts of urine are usually small. Over time, the bladder can “get used to” storing only a little. As a result, its capacity may become smaller. Sometimes children also lose small amounts of urine without noticing.

Important: If your child has a very frequent urge to urinate or is losing urine, it is a good idea to consult your pediatrician to rule out causes such as a urinary tract infection, constipation, or an overactive bladder.

Or going to the toilet too rarely

Some children go to the toilet only rarely during the day. They hold their urine for a long time — often because they are busy playing, occupied with something else, or do not like using unfamiliar toilets.

When children suppress the urge to urinate, the feeling sometimes fades for a short while. But the bladder is still full. This can cause the bladder to become overstretched and overworked. In some situations, the bladder may then “overflow,” which can lead to wet trousers.

A regular toilet routine (for example a quick “toilet check” every 2 hours) can help. If accidents happen frequently or if there is pain, the cause should be checked by a pediatrician.

How often should a child go to the toilet during the day?

As a rough guide:

1–4 times a day is usually too little.
5–7 times a day is a good guideline for many children.
8 times or more can be too frequent.

Important: These are only general guidelines. If your child has a very frequent urge to urinate, feels pain when urinating, or keeps having accidents, it is a good idea to consult your pediatrician.

A simple toilet plan (6 times a day)

For many children, it is helpful to go to the toilet about six times a day. For example:

Right after waking up in the morning
During the break at school / kindergarten
At lunchtime (for example before or after eating)
In the afternoon after school
In the early evening (for example around dinnertime)
Before going to bed

“Not as a strict rule — more as a guide so that the bladder is emptied regularly.”

How much should a child drink per day? (Guidelines)

In Europe, the EFSA reference values for total water intake are often used (this includes drinks + water from food):

2–3 years: 1.3 L/day
4–8 years: 1.6 L/day
9–13 years: Girls 1.9 L/day, boys 2.1 L/day

In practical terms: This is the total amount of water. Part of it comes from food, so the amount a child actually needs to drink is often roughly 70–80% of this total, depending on diet, weather, and activity level.

Source: EFSA – Dietary Reference Values for water (2010)

Bowel movements: When stool stains appear in the underwear

Damp trousers or urine leakage can sometimes also be related to a child holding back the urge to have a bowel movement for too long. Some children also repeatedly have stool or fecal stains in their underwear. This often happens unnoticed, without the child feeling that they need to go to the toilet right away.

How does this happen?
If children go to the toilet too rarely or do not empty their bowels completely, constipation can develop. Stool builds up in the bowel, becomes hard, and is more difficult to pass. Then it can happen that softer, newer stool “slips past” the hard stool and ends up as smears or stool stains in the underwear — without the child noticing it in time.

What can parents look out for?

Fewer than 3 bowel movements per week is usually too little.
Ideally, the stool should be formed (like a “sausage”), soft to firm — but not hard.
Very hard stool or recurrent stool stains are signs that the bowel may need support.

If you are unsure, or if your child has pain, often complains of stomach aches, or regularly has stool stains, it is a good idea to consult your pediatrician. Constipation is common — and treatable.

Help and support in everyday life

We support families not only with information, but also with practical aids for everyday life:

Toilet timers / reminder watches: These watches discreetly remind your child during the day (for example by vibration) about drinking and toilet times. Many children think they are “cool” — and they help build regular habits without parents having to keep reminding them.
Comfortable, absorbent underwear: This can help prevent wet trousers in everyday life. It gives your child more confidence and reduces embarrassing situations at school or when out and about.

If the symptoms continue
If your child continues to have problems, additional professional support may be helpful — for example from a pediatric physiotherapist specializing in the pelvic floor, or from a urology clinic at a children’s hospital near you.