www.preschoolerstoday.com - Expert advice and articles on raising children. Discipline tips, mealtime helpers and recipes, preschool checklist and advice.

my iParenting

From Our Sponsors

Get Pregnancy Information

Oh, Brother!

I Wet the Bed

By Lisamarie Sanders

Pages: 1 2 3

Jamie wondered why his brother, Joey, avoided sleepovers. And he was curious about all the laundry Mom did every morning. But most of all, he puzzled over the faint smell of urine that permeated the air upstairs.

He never considered that his older brother had a problem with staying dry at night until his mom, dad and brother sat down with him to discuss the situation.

Dr. Paul Coleman, psychologist, encourages parents to talk with a child's siblings about his bedwetting problem. "You don't want the child who is enuretic to feel like it's some kind of horrible secret," he says. Secrets foster shameful feelings, and make the problem more of an issue than it is.

Renee Mercer, RN, a certified nurse practitioner at Enuresis Associates in Maryland, agrees, but also understands some children's need for privacy. If your child is overly concerned about teasing or really doesn't want his siblings to know, don't tell them. "Although I encourage communication, respecting a child's wishes is very important," Mercer says.

Talking to the family about enuresis is just like talking to them about needing braces. Bedwetting is primarily a developmental problem that can be corrected with time, and in some cases, treatment. In most cases it is simply because the child's bladder has not developed as quickly as the rest of his body. It is nothing the child did, and it is not something he could control. "Be very straightforward and matter-of-fact about it," Dr. Coleman says.

Mercer suggests explaining that everyone has different challenges in life. One child may have difficulty learning to swim; another figuring out how to ride a bike. Some people have a tough time with math; others have trouble in social situations. This child has trouble staying dry at night. "When you explain it like this, it demystifies the whole thing," Mercer says.

Additionally, Mercer encourages parents to share the experiences of other family members who have experienced bedwetting. Often there are parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents who had the same problem. Explain that enuresis is often inherited, just like blue eyes or curly hair. "A lot of times the kids feel fortunate that it missed them," she says.

Pages: 1 2 3

Want to see more?

who are you?

we have specific content just for you!

SAH Mom	Working Mom
SAH Dad	Working Dad
Adoptive Parent	Grandparent
Parent of Twins	Special Needs Parent

	Yes. I am so scared I don't know what to do.
	Yes. I am scared, so I have started cutting costs and making changes.
	No. We have played it safe in the past, and it is helping us now.
	No. I don't care about this stuff.
	I don't know enough about it to be scared.
	Other. Share your comments below.