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Let's Talk About It
Talking About Bedwetting with Children
By Lisamarie Sanders
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!" Hassink points out. "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, GoodNites 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 he wakes up dry.
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," explains Mercer.
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