So, your Child Wets the Bed – Why?
Welcome to the club!
Itâs probably not a club you ever dreamt of joining, but youâre in it anyway. The good news is that chances are, your membership will be short-term. Most kids start staying dry before starting school. Each year after that, the percentage of bedwetters decreases even more. There arenât very many kids who go off to college needing diapers â it does happen, but itâs really pretty rare.
So whatâs up with bedwetting?
Whatâs the cause? In other words, why you? Why your child? First of all, there are two types of bedwetting. The first is Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (PNE). This describes children who have never stayed dry at night, or at least, never on a regular basis. The second type is Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis. This describes kids who used to stay dry, but who have recently started wetting the bed. The causes for each type are different, and so are the remedies and treatments.
Primary Nocturnal Enuresis
Generally, primary enuresis is a problem passed down from one generation to the next. Itâs more common in boys, but happens to girls, too. Even if your whole family is mum on the subject, you can bet some of the nests in the family tree throughout the years were floating! You might not have a line of relatives clamoring to share their experiences, but you can know theyâre out there. If the former bedwetters in your family are willing to fess up, it could go a long way toward helping your childâs optimism. After all, if Uncle Joe used to wet the bed, and is now married, employed, and dry, thereâs hope!
Theories abound about the causes of primary nocturnal enuresis. Small bladder. Immature bladder. Deep sleeper. Brief REM cycle. Too many fluids before bedtime. Too little fluids during the day. Too much caffeine. The list is endless.
The list of what doesnât cause bedwetting is just as long. Enuresis isnât caused by emotional problems, how you potty trained your child, a serious medical disorder, or your childâs laziness or apathy.
Enuresis of either type merits a visit to your pediatrician. But chances are youâll hear that itâs a problem your child will outgrow, that itâs a hereditary problem, and that you should try different remedies to see if any are helpful.
Some families find bedwetting alarms helpful. For others, itâs just a really loud interruption of a good nightâs sleep. There are medications, including pills and nasal sprays that can help in some cases. Again, they work for some kids, sometimes. Same thing with homeopathic or herbal bedwetting remedies, hypnosis, and biofeedback. Theyâre all worth a try. Just do your research first, and follow the directions exactly.
Secondary Enuresis
This is the type of bedwetting that catches you by surprise. Your childâs been dry for years, when all of a sudden, youâre getting that midnight knock on the door. âMommy, I wet the bed.â What the heck is going on?
Good question â and itâs one your pediatrician may be able to help you with. Itâs important to rule out bladder and urinary tract infections. If something simple like this is causing your child to wet the bed, youâre really in luck! A few days on an antibiotic, and youâre out of the bedwetting club!
If thereâs no evidence of infection, take a look at your familyâs recent circumstances. Have you moved, had a new baby, lost a relative, changed schools, or had something else stressful happen? Some children have trouble processing these events, and their worries intrude on their sleep enough to bring on a cycle of bedwetting. Provide the support your child needs to get through the stressful time, and the bedwetting will end sooner than later.
Susan Lewis
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/so-your-child-wets-the-bed-why-131885.html
December 5th, 2009 at 5:44 am
what do you do if your child wets themself…?
what would you do if your child wet hemselveswhen theywere in public say at the park and they didnt want to gohome?
well there 4 and 5 but often i find its because there isno bathrooms and there is bushes but they are about 10mins walking awayso my 5yr old gets embarrased having towee or poop in public but then we live quite far away from the park so itsnot acaseof going home and coming back and i do bring a change of pants and trousers but often ichange her and it happens again
December 5th, 2009 at 5:46 am
Always take spare clothes for them to change into.
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Take them home – I wouldn’t want to risk nappy rash or chaffing. It can make the skin very sore and irritated to be next to wet clothes for long periods of time.
I usually have a spare set of clothes with me just in case.
Accidents happen even when children are toilet trained, so its always wise to have a spare change of clothes with you.
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:50 am
how old? i would just not be too bothered all kids have accidents and if hes happy playing in wet pants no problem
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Well, it depends on the childs age. If my son had an accident (he is 5), I would take him into the bathroom and quickly wash him with some soap and water, and then get a change of clothes on him, then I would remind him he needs to listen to his body and go to the bathroom when his body tells him it is time to go. Remind them that they aren’t going to miss anything important, and it is more important to go to the bathroom than to play until they have an accident…My son hardly ever has accidents though…Last summer he had maybe 2…Simply from having to much fun outside and forgetting.
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:54 am
make them wear a nappy before going
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:56 am
keep spare clothes handy. if youre potty training, let the child know that this is wrong. if they go to the potty successfully, reward them. i’m dealing with this same thing with my 2 year old daughter.
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December 5th, 2009 at 5:58 am
for one you are the parent. parents should not let children dictate the parents actions(like going home)
and two, thats gross, leaving the kid wet to come in contact possibly with others, to leave their pee wherever they were sitting that some one else may sit.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Depends on the childs age and wether it happened frequently or a one off. Don’t make a big thing of it and if feasible tell them you’ll bring them back when changed. If a young child or a frequent occurrence carry spare clothes and monitor drinks while out and offer trips to loo.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:02 am
You didn’t mention the age. If it’s a young child, you should always take extra clothes. If you don’t have a change of clothes, then you have to take them home to change. It’s very unsanitary (not to mention it’s smelly) for you to keep letting them slide, sit in a swing, and even the sandbox with wet clothes on. You can’t just let the child decide that they don’t want to go home! You tell them, we are going home to change clothes. If it’s a very young child and possible take them back to the park. If it’s an older child who should have known they needed to go and just didn’t, I wouldn’t take them back to the park.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:04 am
change them if i had clothes, or explain that we need to go because i do not have clothes and leave,
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:06 am
If you were in the situation where your child accidentally wet their clothes and you did not have a change for them, I would quietly and nicely explain that, we do not potty in our pants and that when we have accidents we have to change our clothes. Your child may protest, of course they want to just stay and play. Again gently explain while you are removing your child that we can not stay in wet clothes.
For future outings, if this is a regular problem I would bring at least one change of clothes, including socks (pee can really travel!) If this is one in a while, why not throw your least favorite outfit of theirs in your trunk that way you have it in case of an emergency.
Good luck
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:08 am
It’s your fault for making your child laugh so much. Don’t worry about what other people think. If the child is well and healthy you are blessed.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:10 am
This depends on the age of the child. If the child was young and going through toilet training I would expect that you would have several changes of clothes with you. If the child was older and they wet themselves and if was only a little I would take their underwear off and depending on how wet their trousers or skirt were leave them to it. If it was a lot then I’m sorry but I would take the child home. Leaving a child in urine damp clothes could cause rashes and is uncomfortable. It would also be unpleasant for other children as its not the nicest smell
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:12 am
I would keep a change of clothes on hand to use for the ride home. It’s not a punishment, but you are the parent and it just needs to be the rule that when there’s an accident, it’s time to go home. Period. If it sometimes happens again, if you have no more clothes then you simply have to go home. Being a good parent is NOT giving your children everything they want, but providing for what they NEED and sometimes what they want. It is not healthy for them to run around in soiled clothing, so you must put your foot down.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:14 am
i would take extra clothes when we go out just in case that happens.and teach them that that is not good
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Time to make sure they potty before leaving the house and bring the potty chair along with you or an icecream bucket you know the big plastic ones. they are too old to be peeing on themselves. when its been a while since they went be the adult and tell them its time to go home dont wait til you know someone needs to go badly go home before that point.
also find a park closer to home or stop off at a fast food place and go in and go potty
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:18 am
make sure they go to the loo before you go out – i never had a problem.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:20 am
To be honest I think you should be getting out of that stage by now, fair enough if she has an occasional ‘accident’, it happens, but to have to change her more than once on the same day? You either need to limit her drinks before she goes on an outing or ensure that you will be near a public toilet so that as soon as you get there she goes to the toilet. If you cannot find a solution this way then i suggest you make the trip home every time it happens. It will spoil your fun i know but if your child knows there is a consequence, assuming you have taken all the steps to help prevent an accident, it may help her to make the connection to having fun and being in control of her bladder.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Pick up your child, and put them in the car and take them home to get changed. There are a lot of things in life we "don’t" want to do, but there are things in life we have to do, even when we "don’t" want to. Your child is running your life.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Take him home and get him cleaned up. He’s the kid and you are the adult, he may throw a little tantrum now but think of the one he’ll throw if he has a rash from sitting in wet clothes.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:26 am
You’re the parent, take a change of clothes, and take them to the bathroom while you’re at the park. Bathroom breaks are a fact of life, its just part of the routine.
If they have an accident don’t make a fuss, just change them and if you don’t have a change take them home.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:28 am
if i dont have a spare pare of clothes my girls are happy running around with there bottem half on show
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mum of 3 aged 2 3 and 5
December 5th, 2009 at 6:30 am
i would say tough we’ve gotta go as you’ve had an accident, if they cry big deal they’ll get over it, the swings etc still there tomorrow aint they!! jeez
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:32 am
If it happens quite often, I’d have them wear diapers when going out in public until they gain full control, that’s what they are there for.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:34 am
I would find a public restroom close to the park, not as far from home, or just go home and come back later.
At that age I would let my children know, come to me, we will go to the bathroom and then come back and play. If you wet your pants, we home and get changed, and don’t come back. That way they choose the outcome.
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December 5th, 2009 at 6:36 am
try nappies. your the parent not them if you say home then they go home, dont punish them but if they have to go home they will gradually learn to tell you earlier or hold it in…
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