How To Handle Bedwetting Conversations
Bedwetting isn’t your child’s fault, they’re not being lazy and once you have a better understanding of the causes of bedwetting, you’ll be able to support them more fully.
Why am I wetting the bed every night?
When it comes to bedwetting, kids may have a lot of questions. Whether they verbalize them, or parents proactively address them, it’s best to be prepared with answers. Remember that your child doesn't wet the bed on purpose. There can be many reasons, e.g because they don’t wake up when they need to use the bathroom, because the kidneys make too much urine during sleep, the bladder is unable to hold urine or there’s a hereditary link. In other words, nighttime wetting runs in the family. You can explain those reasons to your child and reassure them that as they grow, their body will mature and they will grow out of bedwetting.
How can I stop wetting the bed?
Every child and parent dealing with this issue wishes for an easy answer for how to stop bedwetting. Yet because it’s so tied to child development, there typically isn’t a simple solution.
You and your child can work together to find the management technique that works best for you and your family. Read about different treatment options here and about how DryNites can help.
Do any of my friends wet the bed?
Bedwetting is more common than people may think. Tell your childthat 10% of children between the ages 3-15 wet the bed at night, and most of them outgrow it. So, it’s likely that your child knows someone who wets the bed. And even if that friend doesn’t share their secret, there can be something very comforting for your child in thinking “it’s likely my friend/someone in my class wets the bed.”
Is bedwetting normal? Is something wrong with me?
Your child may be worried that they are different, in a negative way and that can be impacting their self-esteem. When children worry about bedwetting and look to you for answers to their questions, remember to be open and mindful with them. By explaining to them why they are wetting the bed and telling them that it’s a normal part of childhood, you can help your child spend less time worrying about the problem and more time just being a kid.
Updated in November, 2023