If a child of kindergarten age or older still wets the bed at night, there can be many causes. Psychological stress, e.g., the divorce of the parents or fear of school, can be triggering factors here. Organic disorders can also cause the child to wet themselves. It is important to investigate this and try not to make accusations. But of course, it is tedious if pants have to be changed every night or during the day. Here we have a few tips so that you can get to the bottom of the problem.
When children wet their pants
Bladder control is a maturation and learning process that usually takes time. For some more, for others less. Up to the age of 5, it is perfectly fine for a child to wet their pants every now and then. If the child is older and it still happens, there can be a number of causes behind it that should be investigated. A distinction is made here:
- Only nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting)
- Childhood urinary incontinence
Very important: No accusations
In any case, it is important that you do not reproach your child, expose them in front of others, or put them under pressure. That could make everything even worse. First, talk to your child about the problem without making accusations. Observe your child over a period of time. If it is not just a short phase, you should definitely seek help.
Get professional help
First of all, see a pediatrician; they will first examine the child for organic disorders. If the pediatrician finds nothing, a child psychologist is often brought in. Do not be afraid to seek the help of a psychologist and please also convey to your child that they do not need to be ashamed of it; after all, the psychologist can help you and solve the problem. However, consulting a urologist can also be helpful; in some children, not all urine is excreted. Sometimes physiotherapy can also help, where special pelvic floor therapy is used. This is prescribed if, from a medical point of view, the wetting or incontinence is caused by a coordination disorder between the bladder and pelvic floor muscles or by incorrect behavior when emptying the bladder.
Urotherapy
Usually, it bothers the children just as much; they feel guilty or like failures. Here it is very important that you as parents convey to the child that they are not to blame, but that the bladder has the problem. Of course, you as parents also suffer with your child, have feelings of guilt, and worry about the child's development. Furthermore, it is tedious to constantly work through piles of laundry and run from one treatment to the next. If the pressure becomes too great for the whole family, urotherapy is an option where questions about the topic can be addressed in a calm atmosphere.
Precautions at home
If the problem only exists at night, equip the bed with a mattress protector
Prepare everything in the evening: fresh bed linen, pajamas, etc., so that you don't have to start searching in the middle of the night.
Read also: Why doesn't my child sleep through the night?
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
