Parents

A CRITICAL NOTE FOR PARENTS:
Despite the old wives' tales, emotional problems are almost never the primary cause of nocturnal enuresis, but you can still find books and web pages that classify bedwetting as an emotional or behavior problem. Children do NOT wet the bed on purpose. The idea that the child wets at night out of spite or hostility or as a way to gain attention is almost unanimously rejected by professionals . There is NO compelling evidence to support that position. Neither is nightwetting a symptom of a deep-seated emotion problem. Stress and emotional problems may be involved when a child who has long been dry returns to wetting. But do not jump to conclusions. Studies have found that wetting children are no more emotionally impaired than a like sample of dry children. While most children have no major physical problem or disease, the possibility should not be ignored. Particularly when a dry child returns to wetting (secondary enuresis), it is possible that the problem is caused by a bladder or kidney infection which could cause serious damage if left untreated. It appears that children with certain learning disabilities, in particular ADD, are statistically more likely to be wetters than other children. But MOST children who nightwet are not learning disabled.
------------------------------------------

IS IT OK TO USE PROTECTION?
Parents commonly ask “I have seen articles that say that it is wrong to use any sort of adsorbent pants or diapers on a bedwetting child. What can I do?” You will see articles that say that you should not allow your child to wear protection. It is said that it encourages 'infantile behavior and that it is 'humiliating and demeaning'. They say if you let the child wear a diaper you are sending the message that bedwetting is not important and that it is 'OK'. Letting a child sleep in the comfort of dry bed is thought to decrease the motivation to become dry. It is noted that wearing diapers can make it harder for a child to go to the toilet if he wakes in time to prevent an accident. HOWEVER, while most of these reasons are well intended they miss the mark. Yes, enforced diaper wearing is a demeaning punishment where no punishment is called for. So is forcing a child to sleep in a wet bed. It the parental attitude that is humiliating, not the garment. Providing a child a tool to manage a problem more comfortably with less mess and odor is hardly infantile. While no parent would want a child to wet the bed, a parent should let a child know that wetting is one of those bodily flaws that some people must learn to live with. It is OK to be a bedwetter. Nobody expects that a school age child is going to be overjoyed at the prospect of being returned to diapers, but if protection is offered as something that will make everyone's life easier it will be accepted in due course.

here's another Parents Perspective

Here's advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Parent's Message Board

Parents Links

Created by:
mail to Bingo and Zach


Main     Code of Beliefs     Information     Parents     Support