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Dr Catherine
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Girl
8-15 years

my son is 13 and still have wet night we both diaper him my question is diapering a son at age 13 can impress his self confidence in futer? we use reusable diapers with plastic pants and they are very good for absorbing but they are a bit hard for ADAM to wear. we have no problem with changing him and ready to keep it up to when it want but fear it may have cause a problem in futer with self confidence. we don't let her sister who is not a bed wetter to tease him.&amp;Adam's bed wetting is jenetik beacause i was a bed wetter too. thanks for your help. happy new year.

Dear Adam - Happy New Year to you too!! Having a teenager who continues to struggle with bedwetting can be incredibly challenging for both you and him. The most important thing in the short-term is to ensure your son’s nighttime incontinence does not impact negatively on his self-esteem. Help him to identify all those things in his life that he is good at, this helps to shift his focus away from his bedwetting. Parental understanding is one of the most important factors in helping children manage their bedwetting. Parents, like yourself, who have experienced bedwetting, are often best placed to support their children through this process. Keep reminding him that the bedwetting is not his fault and even though it may not seem like it at the moment, it is something he will out grow. It is important not to let his bedwetting interfere with social opportunities like sleepovers and school camps as this will only impact negatively on his self-confidence. You do not mention in your question what strategies you have already employed to help your son to achieve nighttime continence. The best approach to the treatment of bedwetting is the conditioning alarm, with approximately 75% of children achieving continence following treatment. Bedwetting alarms work by setting off an alarm when your son starts to wet, waking him up so that he gets up and goes to the toilet. Over a period of time this conditions the body into recognizing the signs of a full bladder, your son will eventually learn to wake on his own without the need for the alarm. For some people it can take up to 3 cycles of treatment so it is important not to give up if it at first it does not seem to work. The success of the alarm increases when introduced with the support of an experienced continence advisor. You can contact the Continence Foundation of Australia (1800 330 066) who should be able to recommend someone in your area. All the best! Regards, Dr Cathrine