Bedwetting is not an uncommon problem among children in the 5 to 10 year age group. This doesn’t mean it’s easy to deal with, by any means.
Most kids aren’t going to tell their friends about their bedwetting distress. It’s not talked about. It’s a taboo for obvious reasons. Shame and embarrassment are common feelings.
Just why some kids will become dry at around 2 to 3 years old, then sometimes lapse into a situation of bedwetting as they get older is a subject of continual interest and some research. But the reasons won’t be exactly the same for each child. Ruling out any medical problems is important, so see your child’s doctor and take their advice.
Whatever the cause of a bedwetting situation, stopping it as soon as possible is always the goal. Bedwetting alarms have become increasingly numerous and popular for this reason. They’re used in the privacy of home and they’ll often come with guidance that bedwetting can usually be eliminated anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks of proper and consistent use of the alarm.
Ongoing bedwetting in school aged children can soon become traumatic. It comes much more of a psychological problem than a physical one (but please do seek medical advice to rule out any medical causes of enuresis).
These impacts make it so important not to just “wait for it to go away” once a bedwetting problem develops in kids over 5 years old. Taking action as soon as possible by looking into effective options for eliminating and preventing bedwetting will make both you and your child feel confident that you’re going to move forward and get beyond this distressing problem.
Older children who are suffering with bedwetting will almost always want to avoid school camps, visiting friends for sleepovers, or having friends over to your house. Family vacations may need to be cancelled.
Everything in life starts to revolve around the wetting the bed issue. Since it is not likely to go away on its own in short time, a spiral of stress and anxiety can start consuming not only your child who is wetting the bed, but the entire family.
Since telling teachers, friends, friend’s parents, outside family members and others about a bedwetting problem is not something most of us like to do – not least because of the additional embarrassment and shame it can cause to the child – our behavior around these people can become awkward.
Having to make excuses for why your child isn’t going to school camps or a friend’s birthday party isn’t fun for anyone. Little do we know that some of those people might also be battling their own bedwetting problems in their own household.
But because it is a taboo subject, few people will talk about it and share experiences. We are happy to share when our child is battling a bad cold, or has injured their ankle at weekend sport. But a bedwetting problem? It’s not likely to be a topic of conversation at the school gate on a Monday morning.
What parents need to focus on is a solution to bedwetting. There’s no doubt that bedwetting alarms are the most accessible and immediate options available to us. They are used privately at home, and no one but you and your child even needs to know that the alarm is in use.
Eliminating bedwetting in a child, whether it be through the consistent use of a good bedwetting alarm or through other means (such as with assistance from your doctor) has immense benefits:
- Children who stop wetting the bed will have increased confidence
- Normal life can resume for your child and the whole family – no more night time interruptions
- Parents won’t be dealing with a distressed child every morning, and the wet sheets that come with regular bedwetting
- School performance should substantially improve, with better sleep and less stress affecting your child