Does your child struggle with daytime wetting, frequent bathroom trips, or urinary accidents? You’re not alone. Pediatric urinary incontinence is common, and many children need a little extra support learning how to recognize bladder signals, coordinate their pelvic floor muscles, and develop healthy bathroom habits.
The good news? There are simple things you can practice at home to support better bladder control.
In this guide, we’ll discuss common causes of urinary incontinence in children, healthy bladder and bowel habits, and three simple exercises for children that can support pelvic floor and bladder function.
Its important to remember that urinary accidents aren’t usually your child’s fault. Children may have difficulty coordinating the bladder, pelvic floor, breathing, and abdominal muscles. Persistent or new urinary symptoms should be evaluated by your child’s pediatrician and, when appropriate, a pediatric pelvic health physical therapist.
What Is Pediatric Urinary Incontinence?
Pediatric urinary incontinence refers to involuntary urine leakage or difficulty controlling urination in a child who would typically be expected to have bladder control for their developmental stage.
Urinary incontinence can happen during the day, at night, or both.
Some children may experience:
- Daytime wetting or urinary accidents
- Bedwetting
- Sudden urinary urgency
- Frequent urination
- Urine leakage during activities
- Difficulty fully emptying the bladder
- Urinary dribbling
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
These symptoms can have several different causes, so it’s important to look at the whole child—not just the pelvic floor.
What Causes Urinary Accidents in Children?
There isn’t one single cause of pediatric urinary incontinence.
Common contributing factors can include:
Holding Urine Too Long
Children may become so focused on playing, school, sports, or other activities that they ignore the urge to use the bathroom.
Over time, regularly holding urine can contribute to bladder dysfunction and accidents.
Constipation
The bladder and bowel are closely connected.
A full or constipated rectum can put pressure on the bladder and may contribute to urinary urgency, frequency, and accidents.
That’s why addressing constipation is often an important part of improving bladder control.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction
The pelvic floor muscles help control urination, but stronger isn’t always better.
Some children have difficulty relaxing these muscles when they need to urinate. Others may have difficulty coordinating the pelvic floor with their abdominal muscles and breathing.
Pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy focuses on teaching children how to contract, relax, and coordinate these muscles appropriately.
Difficulty Recognizing Bladder Signals
Some children don’t recognize that they need to use the bathroom until the urge becomes very strong.
Learning to recognize early bladder signals can help children respond before an accident occurs.
3 Simple Exercises for Children’s Bladder Control
Before starting any exercise program, remember that the goal isn’t to have your child perform hundreds of Kegels.
For many children, breathing, relaxation, coordination, posture, and whole-body strength are more helpful than simply strengthening the pelvic floor.
Here are three simple exercises you can try at home.
1. Belly Breathing
Diaphragmatic—or belly—breathing is a simple way to help children learn to relax their abdominal and pelvic muscles.
Have your child lie comfortably on their back with their knees bent.
Place a stuffed animal or small pillow on their belly.
Ask them to:
- Breathe slowly through their nose.
- Watch the stuffed animal rise as their belly expands.
- Slowly breathe out through their mouth.
- Let their belly soften as they exhale.
Practice 5–10 slow breaths.
Make it fun:
Tell your child to imagine they’re:
- Smelling a flower on the inhale
- Blowing out birthday candles on the exhale
The goal is relaxed, easy breathing—not forceful or exaggerated breaths.
2. Bridges
Bridges help strengthen the hips and trunk while encouraging coordination between the muscles of the pelvis and core.
Have your child:
- Lie on their back with their knees bent.
- Place their feet comfortably on the floor.
- Keep their feet about hip-width apart.
- Slowly lift their hips toward the ceiling.
- Pause for 1–2 seconds.
- Slowly lower their hips back down.
Try 8–10 repetitions.
Encourage your child to breathe normally rather than holding their breath.
Make it fun:
Pretend their body is a bridge for toy cars.
Can the cars drive underneath without touching the bridge?
3. The Pelvic Floor “Traffic Light”
This exercise helps children understand that their pelvic floor muscles can tighten and relax.
Have your child imagine a traffic light:
- Green = Relax – Let the pelvic floor and belly muscles soften.
- Yellow = Gentle squeeze – Imagine gently squeezing the muscles used to prevent passing gas.
- Red = Stronger squeeze – Gently squeeze for 2–3 seconds. Then return to:
- Green = Relax completely
- Repeat approximately 5 times.
A note for parents:
Your child should not repeatedly practice stopping their urine stream while they are peeing. Instead, practice pelvic floor awareness when they are not using the bathroom. For some children, learning to relax the pelvic floor is just as important as learning to contract it.
Don’t Forget These Bladder-Friendly Habits
Exercises are only one piece of the puzzle.
Try incorporating these habits into your child’s daily routine.
Encourage Regular Bathroom Breaks
Encourage your child to use the bathroom regularly rather than waiting until they have an overwhelming urge. For many children, a bathroom routine of approximately every 2–3 hours during the day can be a helpful starting point, although individual needs vary.
Give Them Time to Empty Their Bladder
Rushing through bathroom trips can make it difficult to completely empty the bladder.
Make sure your child has:
- A comfortable toilet position
- Feet supported on a stool if needed
- Enough time to relax
- A chance to fully empty their bladder
Support Healthy Bowel Habits
Pay attention to your child’s bowel movements. Hard stools, painful bowel movements, infrequent stools, or stool accidents may indicate constipation that could be contributing to urinary symptoms. Talk with your child’s pediatrician if you’re concerned about constipation.
When Should You See a Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist?
If your child continues to experience urinary accidents despite healthy bathroom habits, it may be time to seek professional help.
A pediatric pelvic floor physical therapist can assess more than just pelvic floor strength.
An evaluation may look at:
- Bladder and bowel habits
- Toilet positioning
- Breathing patterns
- Pelvic floor coordination
- Core and hip strength
- Posture and movement
- Bathroom behaviors
- Strategies for recognizing bladder signals
Treatment is individualized and should be age-appropriate, positive, and never shame-based.
When Should You Call Your Child’s Pediatrician?
Urinary symptoms should be discussed with your child’s healthcare provider if they are persistent, worsening, or associated with other symptoms.
Contact your pediatrician if your child has:
- Pain or burning with urination
- Blood in the urine
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Continuous urine leakage
- Difficulty starting or maintaining a urine stream
- New urinary accidents after previously being consistently dry
- Significant constipation
- Excessive thirst or urination
- A sudden change in bladder habits
These symptoms can have medical causes that require evaluation.
Your Child Isn’t Doing It on Purpose
Perhaps the most important thing parents can do is remove shame from the conversation.
Urinary accidents can be embarrassing for children, especially when they happen at school, during sports, or at a friend’s house.
Avoid punishment, teasing, or making your child feel responsible for something they may not be able to control yet.
Instead, try:
“Your body is still learning. Let’s figure this out together.”
That simple change in language can make a big difference.
A Simple 5-Minute Routine to Try at Home
Looking for an easy place to start?
Try this short routine once a day:
1 minute: Belly breathing
1–2 minutes: Bridges
1 minute: Pelvic floor “traffic light”
1–2 minutes: Relaxed stretching: happy baby, child’s pose, cat/cow
Keep it fun and low-pressure.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s helping your child develop body awareness, coordination, healthy bathroom habits, and confidence.
Could Your Child Benefit From Pediatric Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy?
If your child is struggling with daytime wetting, urinary urgency, bedwetting, constipation, or frequent bathroom accidents, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Pediatric pelvic floor physical therapy can help identify the underlying factors contributing to your child’s symptoms and provide an individualized plan to help them feel more confident and comfortable in their body. During an evaluation, we’ll work together to understand your child’s symptoms, bladder and bowel habits, movement patterns, and goals, and create a treatment plan that is child-friendly, evidence-informed, and tailored to their needs.
Give Your Child the Tools to Feel Confident Again
Urinary incontinence can be stressful for the whole family, but accidents don’t have to define your child’s childhood. With the right education, support, and treatment, children can learn healthier bladder and bowel habits and develop greater confidence in their bodies.
If you’re concerned about your child’s urinary accidents, reach out to a pediatric pelvic floor physical therapist or your child’s pediatrician. Your child isn’t alone, and neither are you.
Looking to optimize your childs well being with pelvic floor physical therapy? Reach out to us at Pelvic Health Center in Madison, NJ to set up an evaluation and treatment! Feel free to call us at 908-443-9880 or email us at [email protected]. We are in-network with several insurance plans and can help you confirm your benefits before your evaluation.