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Bedwetting: It's Common and Normal
Even though bedwetting usually disappears naturally over time, it can cause stress and frustration for you and your child. How
many wet sheets can a weary parent change without becoming agitated? About half of us with 3-year-olds are washing an extra load or two of laundry.
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 20 percent of 5-year-olds, 10 percent of 6-year-olds, and 3 percent of 12-year-olds experience enuresis.
So have an extra set of sheets and dry clothes ready and know that you are not alone.
Supporting Your Child to Dryness
Since many children, especially school age, may become discouraged and depressed about bedwetting,
parents can play a vital role in reassuring their child and offering support. Try these ideas:
Remind your child to go to the bathroom before bed.
Offer subtle praise for dry nights, but keep in mind that success or the lack of success is beyond your child's control.
Limit liquids two hours before bedtime.
Wake your child once during the night to go.(That's a tip for only the boldest of parents. Some of us believe in never waking a sleeping child.)
Adopt a no teasing policy among siblings.
Quick Cleanup
Bedwetting may be a normal part of growing up, but it's so much messier than learning to read or ride a bike.
Here are a few tips to make cleaning easier:
Put a water absorbent mattress pad over your
child's bed and yours if they like to sleep or snuggle with you.
Make the bed twice. Put a mattress pad on the bed, a set of sheets, another mattress pad on top of that and another set of
sheets. In the middle of the night just strip off the wet mattress pad and sheets and underneath, the bed is already made.
How Your Pediatrician Can Help
If your child wets the bed, he may not want to go on sleepovers or attend camp for fear someone will find out.
Disposable underwear is so thin and absorbent that many children can wear them under their pajamas and no one knows.
For older children, your pediatrician can also help with medication and bedwetting devices like moisture alarms. Because bedwetting is such a common problem,
there are many mail order treatments available, but these should not be used without your pediatrician's recommendation. As in any medical or developmental situation,
your pediatrician is your best source for information.
For more information, visit:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry -
Facts for families
about bedwetting.
Kids Health: Additional resources for kidsy parentsabout bedwetting and methods for how to cope.
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