Bedwetting in Children

Follow

If you’re dealing with bedwetting in children, don’t despair. It usually is just a phase and one you can end sooner rather than later if you’re willing to test out a few things and exercise a little patience.  And we’re quite sure you’re up for the challenge since you’re reading this article!

Note that we said above you’d probably have to test out a few approaches before you find the one that works for your child.  There is simply no single solution to waking up to stinky sheets, although there are time-tested methods that work in the majority of cases.

But before even we even discuss those, let’s be clear that bedwetting is very rarely caused by any sort of physical problem or disease.  It’s much more likely to happen because your child hasn’t quite gained the awareness yet of when his or her bladder is full, which is sometimes compounded by having a smaller than average bladder in the first place.  Stress can also cause it, though it may not be as much of a factor if the problem is chronically recurring.

With that understanding in hand, the first and best step to take is reassuring your child that his or her bedwetting is a natural part of growing up.  Talk about it as a rite of passage and put special emphasis on how growing out of it will signal entrée into being a “big kid.”  What could be better for any kid to hear?

With that foundation in place, you’ll want to start simple to see if bedwetting in the children you’ve got is easier to solve than you thought.  For example, don’t give them any water within two hours of bedtime.  Also make sure to have your child use the bathroom just before bed. This is a good habit to create now to make life easier later.

Failing that, you could have your child help to change the sheets in the morning when bedwetting does happen.  Dealing with the smelly consequences of it is nearly sure to provide ample motivation for your child to consider things carefully before doing it again.  Just make sure to remain emotionally neutral in having your little one help with this.  It should not be seen as a punishment–just as what naturally needs to be done to maintain good hygiene in the house after bedwetting.

On the other side of the coin, create an outright rewards system for dry nights.  An extra half an hour of television time, play time in the park or story time before bed can go a long way as positive incentives.  As with these last two, you can plan crafty parent-child activities you can do together as the rewards.

Seize the opportunity while you can. You know they grow up so fast, and soon dating dilemmas and paying for college might make solving bedwetting in children seem like a walk in the park.

Click here for more tips on how to stop bedwetting in children