It’s 3 a.m. and you are sound asleep and cozy in bed. You hear a tiny little voice calling your name.
“Mom!”
You roll around with your eyes half open in a confused sort of state and finally realize it’s your child.
“What honey?” you ask.
Your child responds in a quiet whisper, “I wet the bed.”
You respond with a gentle, “It’s o.k., I’ll take care of it.”
Without showing any frustration, you stumble out of bed and head to your child’s room. Half awake, you remove all of the wet bed sheets off of the bed and place them in the laundry room knowing you’ll just have to take care of it tomorrow. Then you make up the bed with clean sheets and tuck in your child. You give your child another goodnight kiss, tell him/her “I love you,” stumble back to bed, crawl in, and off to dreamland you go.
Does this sound familiar?
Moms, you aren’t alone. Here are a few helpful tips for you if you have a bedwetter at home.
Tips for Parents with Bedwetters:
Make an appointment with your child’s doctor to discuss the bedwetting. Your child’s doctor may be able to help you rule out or identify the causes for bedwetting and may offer a treatment plan for your child.
Reach out to family and friends for tips. If you have any family or friends with children, talk to them about bedwetting. They may be able to offer tips that worked for them when dealing with a bedwetter.
Look for books about bedwetting. There are books about bedwetting out there for both kids and adults that discuss bedwetting.
Keep extra bedding and clothing nearby. If your child wets the bed in the middle of the night, consider keeping extra waterproof protective mattress covers handy for middle of the night bed changes.
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Encourage bathroom trips before bedtime. Add potty time to your child’s bedtime routine. Before they get in bed, make sure they use the potty to empty their bladder.
Limit drinks before bedtime. If your child is drinking liquids before bed, this could lead to bedwetting. Consider setting a cut off time for liquids at night.
Create an incentives chart. Use stickers on a chart for each day your child stays dry. After a certain amount of stickers, reward your child with a special treat. On days that your child may wet the bed, avoid punishing your child.
Comfort your child and avoid showing frustration or anger. Getting angry or showing frustration at your child may add pressure to the situation and lower their confidence. Instead, comfort your child and let him/her know that he or she is not alone and that bedwetting is normal among his/her age group.
Purchase protective underwear. There’s good news out there for parents with bedwetters! Have your child try protective underwear to help prevent nighttime accidents (and prevent more dirty laundry for you!)
Do you have any tips to add to the list?