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Dr Catherine
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Girl
4-7 years

he told me he doesn't like his mom's bf anymore, that's he's grumpy all the time and is mean to his mommy. now the bf isn't physical or anything like that...just grumpy and I know his mom has been under a lot of stress. I try to keep my grandson when ever possible...but I'm wondering if this is his way of acting out his stress with the situation? Normally, he's a very happy, silly, goofy kid, very loving and affectionate and he LOVES his mom to pieces. But he's just not himself lately. he's been wetting a good 4times a week, (at night) but also during the day now too..sometimes it's cause he's playing and wont come in, but of late, that's not the case.

Dear A.A., Please accept my apologies for the slight delay in responding over the Christmas and New Year period. It’s always a good idea to have children seen by their GP if they are over 5 years of age and experience regular daytime accidents. There are a number of reasons why children may experience daytime accidents. The most common reason is that they have overactive bladders, not drinking enough fluid throughout the day (quite common among school-age children) and consuming drinks high in caffeine such as chocolate or coca-cola can worsen overactive bladders and contribute to daytime wetting. Other less common causes of daytime wetting include emotional stress and urinary tract infections (particularly in children who were previously dry). As with daytime wetting, there are both physical and psychological causes underlying secondary wetting, again, it is important to rule out the physical causes first. The majority of secondary bedwetting results from emotional problems. Parental divorce, school bullying or changes in living arrangements are considered significant psychological stressors for many young children. When stress is the cause of a return to wetting, children’s bedwetting often stops once they a feeling less anxious and their concerns are resolved. When children are experiencing significant life stressors such as parental divorce, it is important to provide lots of love and reassurance. During this time avoid introducing too many new things at once as this can add to his stress. Reassure your grandson that none of this is his fault. Promoting self-confidence and positive self-esteem is particularly important at this time. Wearing DryNites will certainly help him to better cope with the situation and avoid any embarrassment. I wish you all the best at this difficult time. Regards, Dr Cathrine