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Communicating About Bedwetting

How to Talk With Your Child

By Lisamarie Sanders

Depending on your family dynamics, you may want to discuss the situation with your other children. "Often siblings do get an inclination that maybe one of the children is wetting, even if you don't discuss it with them," says Mercer.

A family conversation will help your other children understand that bedwetting is a medical condition, and not the fault of the wetting child. Getting it out in the open can help remove the stigma and shame the affected child might feel if he were to keep it a secret.

This is also a good time to explain any treatment program the bedwetting child is involved in. After the discussion, it is important to stress that the information shared must stay in the family. It should never be brought up to the child's friends. Parents should also enforce a no-teasing policy about the child's enuresis – even in the midst of heated arguments between siblings.

After the initial and family conversations, other enuresis discussions should be initiated by your child. "Be open to listen whenever your child wants to talk," says Mercer. Don't single him out or treat him differently than the other children in your house. For example, don't greet him in the morning with "Were you wet last night?" Instead, ask him what he wants for breakfast. By not focusing on the problem, you will help your child realize that he is much more than a bedwetter.

Talk with your child about his enuresis and, more importantly, listen to him. By doing so, you will give him the opportunity to acknowledge and accept his condition. Then he can get on with his life.