Sewing the seeds of confidence with DryNites

Getting crafty and boosting confidence at bedtime.

There are so many milestones when it comes to raising children; from weaning and crawling to walking, talking and starting school.

One of the most major milestones has to be toilet training. Graduating from a nappy to a potty or toilet is a very big deal: a rite of passage. All of sudden your baby is not an actual baby any more. 

And of course, like so many of these life stages, it’s never usually simple. For example, my four-year-old son is at an in-between stage right now. He’s completely dry during the day, but hasn’t quite mastered it at night yet.

I don’t stress about it because I know this is a normal part of the process and things will click into place soon enough. But it can sometimes be tough: he feels too grown-up for nappies, but bedtime accidents stress him out.

Just before Christmas I shared my tips to stop bedwetting. One of these was about boosting confidence at bedtime and making sure your child doesn’t feel embarrassed about something they can’t quite control yet.

Fast forward a few months and William and I were invited along to a DryNites crafting workshop designed to help boost children’s confidence during this night-time toileting stage.

(In case you’re wondering, William had had his face painted like a dog earlier in the day. That isn’t his usual look!)

William got to make a paper plate Easter Bunny bag while I, along with a few other bloggers, was challenged to make a child’s pyjama bag.

The idea behind the bag is that your child can pack it each day and it will help them to feel more grown-up and in control. The main part of the bag is large enough for their PJs and an elasticated front pocket is perfect for slipping in one of DryNites’ pyjama pants.

William loved the idea. I, on the other hand, was feeling slightly nervous.

Don’t get me wrong, I love doing arts and crafts with my children; but this workshop took me right out of my comfort zone.

I had to use a sewing machine.

Even more importantly, I had to use a sewing machine and not break it.

Thankfully I had a fabulous mentor in the shape of Tamara Melvin, a former Great British Sewing Bee finalist. She took us slowly through each step and was on hand to help when I got my needle stuck more than once.

I’ll share the ‘how to’ instructions in a separate post, but in the meantime here are a few more photographs from our crafty afternoon:

I was really pleased with how my William’s pyjama bag turned out.

As I’ve mentioned, the workshop was organised by DryNites. I’m going to be working with them over the coming year as part of their ‘confident kids 24/7’ campaign.

It’s thought that nearly one in ten children aged between four and 15 wet the bed at some stage. DryNites wants to boost confidence at bedtime for children and stop them feeling embarrassed or anxious if an accident happens.

As a mum with a son who is currently learning to stay dry at night, I believe that the brand’s pyjama pants are a great way to help instil confidence in children and parents alike.

Not only are they age-appropriate night-time pants – which means they will help young children feel a little more grown-up because they can pull them up and down, just like typical day-time underwear – but they’re also absorbent enough to soak up any accidents and keep your child, and their bed, dry.

William uses DryNites and is proud to do so. He’s also proud of his new, homemade pyjama bag, which we’ve incorporated into his bedtime routine already. It hangs by his bed and he loves being in charge of packing it every day.

As for me, I’m just amazed that my handiwork hasn’t fallen apart yet. Maybe I’m better at this sewing lark than I thought.

I have been commissioned by DryNites to be a brand ambassador over the coming year. Although I am receiving financial compensation for my time, I am pleased to be supporting them because this stage of development in a child’s life is so important.

I look forward to sharing more posts to help you and your child get more confident about bedtime.