- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Communicating About Bedwetting
How to Talk With Your Child
By Lisamarie Sanders
"Realizing that I was not alone made all the difference to me," says Rich, an FBI employee who wet the bed as a child. "My mother told me that two of my uncles and my grandmother used to wet. She said they outgrew it, and so would I." This information helped him accept the condition and wait it out.
In addition to explaining the situation, you should work with your child to develop a plan of action. According to Dr. Sandra Hassink, a Delaware pediatrician, teamwork is key. "If there is to be success, family support and positive reinforcement are vital," she says. A sample plan might have the child responsible for removing the soiled sheets and remaking the bed, while the parent is in charge of doing the wash. "This is not a punishment!" says Dr. Hassink. "Rather, children will often feel better by helping with the clean-up process."
Finally, let your child know that you are there for him if he wants or needs to talk. Enuresis can be a very embarrassing condition. Having a loving and supportive ear can make a big difference in how your child reacts to the problem. "The more open you can be about it, the less apt you are to find smelly clothes tucked into the corner of the closet," Mercer says.
If you choose to enlist the aid of helpful bedwetting products such as disposable absorbent underpants, it is best to not draw a lot of attention to them. For example, underpants – white, nondescript disposable undergarments – are made to look like regular underwear and should be treated as such. By placing them in a child's underwear drawer and noting that they are the underpants to be worn at night, this can help the child's self-esteem – especially when h wakes up dry.
Want to see more?
- Good Mornings: Bedwetting and Your Child
- Wet, but Dry
- Bedwetting and Special Needs Kids
- The Effects of Divorce on Children: A Potential Cause for Bedwetting
- Absorbent Undergarments and Special Needs Children
- Words That Heal: Incontinence Solutions for Special Needs Kids
- Childhood Baby Blues: The Effects of a New Baby on Bedwetting
