Bed Wetting: What to do?
At this age, one out of ten children will wet the bed at night. Do not hesitate; this is a trauma that can easily be resolved!!!
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From 5 to 7 millions of children ages 6 to 8 years, fight with an illness called "enuresis". Enuresis is the medical term for bed-wetting. Some studies suggest that this affects boys more than girls, but the reasons are still not clear. It could be a genetic problem.
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Wetting the bed at night can become a bashful secret. It is a problem that attempt against the child confidence and self-esteem, social life and psychological development. One percent of these cases are related to diabetes or kidney failure, when this is only a temporary situation, then the cause can be stress by a change, such as a new school, a death of a beloved one or a new sibling.
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Source: Ser Padres; by Diane Benson Harrington
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STEPS TO KEEP DRY
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Eventually all children will overcome this issue. Here is some guidance to help you during this stage.
Explain to your child that wetting the bed is not a measure for being a bad child. Emphasize that it is a “temporary technical issue” and that there are other children with the same situation.
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Do not blame on him; doing so will backfire on your quest of helping your child to overcome his enuresis. Watch for jokes from siblings and teach him not to pay attention by answering with a simple: “I do wet my bed sometimes, but I will overcome this.”
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Restrain liquid intake. When the connection between bladder and brain works properly, it doesn’t matter how much liquid your child has before going to bed. But if you have bed-wetting issues, it is best if you limit liquid intake right before going to bed. Nevertheless, be reasonable, if your child is thirsty, he can always have a sip of water.
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Handle stress proficiently. If your child steps back during this process and it takes more than one or two weeks, ask if there is any situation bothering him. If that is the case, help him face and solve the problem is interfering with his peace of mind.
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Make the change of sheets easier. Place a plastic cover over your child’s mattresses and have extra sheets and pj’s. Let your child help making the bed as this help soothing his mental stress.
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Use night under wear. You will find many brands and sizes to choose from that can certainly help keeping your child dry at night. This can come very helpful when your child would like to stay over a friend’s house or if your child is inviting some friends for a sleep over. He can change in the bathroom and none of his friends will guess about it.