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A Guy's Guide to Bedwetting
Understanding Bedwetting from a Boy's Perspective
By Kelly Burgess
"Within a male peer group, there isn't the same level of communication as within a female peer group," Dr. Huff says. "Whereas girls may talk about various issues, boys don't do that. Boys often perceive that they can't be less than strong or perfect and can become really secretive about things like bedwetting that make them a less than perfect young man."
One thing parents can do, in addition to being understanding in general and assuring the child that bedwetting is not his fault, is bring up positive male role models who may have struggled with the same issue. This is what Lori Vest of Troy, Mich., did with her son. Vest says her son never saw his bedwetting as a "male" issue, but he often became embarrassed and frustrated over not having that level of control.
"I explained to him that my little brother – who he knows as a grown man – had the same issue until he was around 7 or 8," Vest says. "I think knowing that other men had similar problems when they were children was helpful to him, and to me, as I knew it was normal and not anything to be overly concerned about."
One interesting facet about bedwetting and boys and how they differ from girls is in bedtime rituals. Dr. Huff says that girls tend to get into the same routine and boys tend to vary their schedules a lot.
