Parent Support: Knowing How to Help Your Child
In helping a child with nocturnal enuresis, probably one of the best ways is to join support groups for parents (land-based or online). When you talk about this condition of your child with parents in the same situation, you not only understand that you are not alone in this but also, there are ways to remedy the situation.
Not to say that bed wetting is not a serious situation; indeed it is. Just imagine how much embarrassment and discomfort bed wetting can cause your child. However, it is crucial to realize that this is not an abnormality that your child cannot overcome.
Understanding What Bed Wetting Is
To help your child better, you must first need to know what bed wetting is and what causes it. There are many reasons that a child wets his bed. One, and probably the most common, is that your child has yet to develop full control over his bladder. In this situation, there is little need for worry since it can be overcome with minimal intervention.
Bed wetting can also be hereditary. It can also happen because your child’s bladder does not have the capacity to hold the urine their bodies produce overnight. Or, your child’s bladder is overactive and may not be able to hold urine longer than the time required getting to the bathroom. And, this is important: most bed wetting incidents are because of psychological illness caused by abuse; it is also not normally associated with any other disease or a urinary tract infection.
Helping Your Child
Once you have come to accept the things mentioned above, you are ready to help your child.
Other parents who have gone through the same situation will tell you this: you need to be patient and understanding. It will not help to get angry every time your child wets the bed; the only thing you get from this is resentment from your child.
Do not be a miser when it comes to praises and rewards; your child will feel more in control of himself and his bladder functions if they know you recognize their efforts. You should also be there to support your child by helping him to the bathroom before he sleeps, and taking care to make sure that he is fully awake when you have him get up and go to the toilet in the middle of the night. Additionally, make sure that you have enough time to bathe your child before he goes to school, otherwise he might feel embarrassed because of the smell of urine in his body.
Parents of children with nocturnal enuresis also advise against punishments; there is no use punishing a child for something he cannot control. Additionally, diapers and plastic underwear are both no-no’s; they will only make your child feel ashamed, even if he is just four years old.
An advice that most parents appreciate is the preparation of the bed. Remember that you and your child can only do so much before going to sleep. You can help you child control urine production by making him avoid fizzy drinks and to keep him hydrated more during the day rather than at night; but this not an assurance that they will not wee while asleep.