Symptoms of bedwetting and how you can help
What are the symptoms?
Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis may only be a passing stage during a child’s growth but it is important that parents or guardians and even child caregivers be equipped with the symptoms that are linked to bedwetting. Being knowledgeable is also preparing for taking care of a child who wets bed. Most doctors would consider that nocturnal enuresis will be overcome by a child as he grows older. Based on cases of bed wetting, only 20% of children wets bed at the age of five and this percentage is decreased by 2-10% by age thereafter. Only 10-15% of children at age 5 have bedwetting problems. There are physical functions that may avoid bedwetting at night. The hormone called ADH or anti-diuretic hormone which is responsible in the reduction of urine excretion at night and the other one is the body’s ability to control bladder which means that when your bladder is already full, you are able to wake up and visit the bathroom. It is believed that these two functions are developed based on family history.
As your child matures, the said two physical functions also develop and consequently lead to a more controlled bladder. Commonly, a child develops the skill of bladder control at the age of 1 to 2 year old that begins to be more aware when their bladder is full. Children of 2 to 3 years of age start staying dry all throughout the day. These children are able to express themselves in saying that they want to urinate. More than half of the ratio of boys and girls bedwetting is boys. Girls are more likely to stay dry when asleep at age 6 while boys stay dry at a later age of 7. The symptoms of bed wetting including helpful statistics are what parents could use as a gauge to determine whether their child is normally or not coping in the condition of nocturnal enuresis.
Knowing all of these, parents or a child caregiver may practice some support mechanisms for the child to cope with his or her condition. In child-rearing, spanking or any physical punishment for a child to realize he has made a mistake is not condoned. This is particularly so when your child wets bed which is just normal for a growing child who does not even have the intention of annoying the parents.
Helpful activities
Why don’t you try doing some of these activities that will make your child feel support that he or she needs while faced with bedwetting?
Empathy for the child. Showing support and understanding with what your child is going through are some means that parents may ease a child’s condition. Be sensitive of how your child feels about the condition and act respectfully like how you would want your elders do to your when you were in your childhood and experiencing the same.
Teach your child to be disciplined. Good habits such as limited fluid intake during nighttime especially before bedtime may decrease the chances of your child wetting the bed. Likewise teach your child to head the comfort room first before the bed. You may also try encouraging him to be sensitive about his bladder when it is already full and that it will be nicer if he can go use the toilet.
Enjoing your child at cleanup. Teach your child to help you wash his or her wet clothes. When he feels responsible about the things affected by his bedwetting, he will learn to control his bladder and would be motivated to overcome his situation.
Show appreciation as a reward. When you notice that your child’s bedwetting frequency is lessening, praise. When he feels his actions are appreciated, he will be encouraged and be more confident to do the same action next time. Knowing what to do and how to support your child at this experience will help things eventually become better.