Plato once said “of all the wild animals, boys are the most unmanageable”, and he wasn’t far off but that’s part of their undeniable charm . Boys are, in general, much more relaxed when it comes to personal hygiene and cleanliness, so this can make a bedwetting experience less stressful for boys than girls. However boys, in general, also find it harder to talk about sensitive subjects and may pretend that wetting the bed is no big deal. Your son may try and act tough to hide his feelings or retreat, become shy and not want to spend time with other friends. Rest assured there are thousands of boys who are just like him, going through the exact same thing every day. The good news is that everyday some of them stop wetting the bed, and he will too.
Bedwetting Boys
While boys may be more blasé about a bedwetting incident than girls, boys are also more prone to wetting the bed than girls. Most will outgrow the problem eventually, however boys may be older as they develop more slowly than girls. As with many health issues, bedwetting is often considered hereditary which means that if one or both of the boy’s wet the bed as a child, then there is a good chance he will too.
As a young boy, your son may believe that this problem only happens to him. As a parent we know better, but often the middle-of-the-night disturbance, the extra washing and the child’s distress can make a bedwetting incident seem like more a of big deal than it needs to be.
It’s a good idea to talk to your son about what’s going on; reassure him that this is a natural part of growing up, that it’s not the end of the world, and that lots of his friends are likely to be going through the same thing. Some kids tend to feel guilty for ‘causing a mess’ and making the extra work. Kids are sensitive to your emotions, so even if you don’t say you’re frustrated, your child may pick up on it anyway. A good idea is to keep an open dialog of conversation about the bedwetting problem to help clear the air.
When you do sit down with your son to discuss this sensitive issue, there are some things you can do to make the ‘chat’ as relaxed as possible. Try not to bring up bedwetting where someone may overhear, this could make things awkward and uncomfortable for your son. Rather try to casually bring up the subject while doing something fun with just the two of you, like watching the cricket or kicking a footy in the yard. This will ensure your son is more open to discussing the subject and will ultimately yield better results. To finish off the conversation let him know that you are “there” for him in this difficult period in his life and that bedwetting won’t last forever
If you are really worried about the problem you can go see your family doctor for reassurance and peace of mind. Before you go however you need to make sure that your son knows that by going to the doctor for bedwetting doesn’t mean he has a problem. Your doctor will ask you and your son some questions and possibly suggest some checkups to make sure there is nothing wrong with his ‘waterworks’.
Once this has been done the doctor may suggest that you try using various treatments to help your son’s brain and body start getting the right messages to each other. If your son has been using DryNites® and these make him feel comfortable and give him confidence, then he can keep wearing them to bed even when you are trying other treatments.
Bedwetting away from home
Many of you might feel worried about your little boy having an accident while he is away with his friends on a cricket camp, rugby tour, school camp or just a sleep over. The good news is you are not alone, for most parents of bedwetters, this is major worry. But wetting the bed doesn’t mean your child has to skip camp and being prepared for bedwetting away from home can make all the difference.
A little heart to heart chat with your son about bedwetting before he goes may make him less nervous about leaving home. Some tips like choosing the bottom bed of a bunk so he can get to the bathroom quicker is a great idea. A flashlight can make an otherwise scary trip to the loo seem less daunting. If your son has a fairly bad case of the bedwetting blues you could always get a special sleeping bag lining, which means your son won’t have to change his sleeping bag in the middle of the night. If you’re using DryNites® Pyjama Pants the only worry your son will have is how to get them on and off himself. Your son could always try and slip into them while he is in his sleeping bag, then he can slip them off and into a plastic bag at the bottom of the bag. Just remind him to dispose of pack the DryNites® pants before rolling up the sleeping bag.
Keeping a bedwetting diary
Because bedwetting is caused by different factors for different kids so it can be tricky pinpointing exactly what is making your child wet the bed. It may be a good idea to start a diary, recording the instances when your son wets the bed for about 1 week, as well as what else is going on during those days. For example keeping track of foods and drinks for that day, if it was a school day or not, or what time they go to bed. What makes your son’s day unusual on those nights that he wets the bed? Is there a connection between his bedwetting and what he eats, drinks, daily events, what happens when he is at school, his bowel and urination movements, or family interplay? If you find any kind of connection this could help you determine possible causes of your son’s bedwetting. Once you have identified possible causes, you could look into how to eliminate these situations.
