Top 10 reasons why it's okay to be a bedwetter

[dprdinky]

So this article and found it intriguing. True it's meant to get parents interested in a product, still it's interesting reading:

The Top 10 Reasons Why It's OK That Your Child Wets the Bed (Really!)
By Jessica Squazzo

When you and your child are working hard to manage bedwetting (and having one of those days again), it can be difficult to find the good in the situation. But, there are reasons why you can set frustration aside and look on the bright side of bedwetting: Here are 10 reasons why it's OK that your child wets the bed.
1. You're not alone.

Five to seven million kids ages 6 and older in the United States wet the bed, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Knowing your child is not the only child wetting his bed at night is bound to make you feel a little bit better. And it also makes your child feel better. Experts say talking to your children and making them realize they're not alone when it comes to bedwetting is a great way to boost self-esteem.
2. Most kids stop wetting on their own.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the main reasons children wet the bed at night include having a bladder that has not developed enough to hold urine for a full night and not yet being able to realize that the bladder is full so they can wake up and use the toilet. That said, a child's bedwetting often stops as a child's body grows and matures. The AAP reports that by the teen years, most kids will have stopped bedwetting, and only one in 100 adults experiences bedwetting.
3. There are effective ways to manage bedwetting.

Until your child outgrows bedwetting, there are effective ways to manage it. One technique the AAP recommends is limiting fluid intake before bedtime. You also may want to avoid giving your child caffeinated drinks, as caffeine can be a bladder irritant. Using absorbent underpants such as GOODNITES® Underpants is another way to help a child stay dry at night.

Different management techniques work for different kids and their families. What may work for one child may not be right for yours. Keep trying different solutions until you and your child find one that works. For ideas on what other parents are doing to manage bedwetting effectively, see the article, "How to Stop Bedwetting: Parents Share What Worked for Them."
4. It runs in the family.

Most children who wet the bed have at least one parent or close relative who also experienced bedwetting as a child. In fact, a good indicator of when a child will stop wetting the bed is often when the adult relative stopped wetting.

If you wet the bed as a child, sharing your experience with your child can help her feel better about wetting. Your child will feel more "normal" when he hears that other children - especially a relative - wet the bed once, too.
5. In most cases, bedwetting is not a sign that your child has a health problem.

Because bedwetting is most often caused by a bladder that has not fully developed yet, it is not usually a sign that your child has a serious health problem. Of course, it's always a good idea to bring your child to the doctor for a full evaluation to rule out any medical conditions.

If your child has stopped bedwetting for several months and then starts wetting again suddenly, this could be caused by what is known as secondary enuresis, which can often be brought about by stress. A physician will be able to determine the cause of secondary enuresis and offer treatment advice.
6. It's not your child's fault.

Kids do not wet the bed on purpose. It's important not to make them feel like bedwetting is their fault. Yelling at your child or making her feel bad about bedwetting will only hurt her self-esteem. Be encouraging, supportive and loving when talking to your child about nighttime wetting.
7. Support is available.

Support is an essential part of managing bedwetting. Finding information and advice from other parents can help you deal with the stress and frustration you may be feeling. Online discussion boards such as the GOODNITES® Good Morning Club™ Discussion Boards are available 24/7 for you to connect with other parents, read about their experiences and post questions of your own. Kids can connect with other kids on the GOODNITES® Kids site at: Bedwetting support for Children: Help for Bedwetting Boys and Bedwetting Girls from GoodNites® Sleep Pants..
8. It can give you and your child a way to connect.

Often, kids are embarrassed to talk about bedwetting with anyone other than their parents or a close relative. According to Dr. Susan Bartell, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based psychologist and author, talking about bedwetting can create a close connection between a child and parent.

"Since children need to be able to discuss this intimate problem with a parent in order to get help, and parents need to be empathic towards the child, respect his or her privacy and be sensitive to all the issues surrounding the bedwetting, it creates an emotional environment of trust and an intimate connection," says Dr. Bartell. "This will inevitably help parent and child to become much closer than they otherwise might."
9. Bedwetting doesn't have to affect your child's social life.

Children who wet the bed at night often feel nervous about attending or hosting a sleepover because they're afraid their friends will find out they're not dry at night. By using absorbent products, your child can attend sleepovers and feel more secure. For more information on sleepovers, read the article "Surviving Sleepovers."
10. It teaches children to be empathetic.

Experiencing bedwetting can teach a child the valuable lesson of understanding how others' feel.

"Bedwetting can help a child become more empathetic because it teaches them that people may have issues that are embarrassing or difficult to deal with," says Dr. Bartell. "When they experience these types of issues themselves ... it makes them understand that other people may have similar things to deal with (e.g., learning issues, wearing glasses, looking/acting different, etc.) and makes them less likely to tease or make fun of someone else."

Interesting way to look at the positive side of being a bedwetter. I doubt if most of us felt that from our parents growing up.

[Asher]

That's a pretty interesting article actually; thanks for sharing it with us. : )

- Asher

[ajsco]

Reading through this all I see is 'buy our product, buy our product, buy our product, buy our product'

[bobbyjeff]

Originally Posted by ajsco

Reading through this all I see is 'buy our product, buy our product, buy our product, buy our product'

I'm glad I'm not the only one that smells a marketing scheme in most things I read :P

[Neonite]

Originally Posted by bobbyjeff

I'm glad I'm not the only one that smells a marketing scheme in most things I read :P

Well, it's pretty obvious when it goes all "But there are ways to manage it! Like...Oh, I dunno...GOODNITES(tm) ABSORBENT UNDERPANTS YEAH AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL WALMART ;D" and such. :V

[balancedchaos]

I wet my bed for a summer when I was 7 or 8, and no top 10 list in the world could've cheered me up. Ugh.

[Roy1]

There are certainly much worse problems to have. If this is the worst prblem one has in life what a blessing.

[h3g3l]

Originally Posted by dprdinky

10. It teaches children to be empathetic.

Experiencing bedwetting can teach a child the valuable lesson of understanding how others' feel.

"Bedwetting can help a child become more empathetic because it teaches them that people may have issues that are embarrassing or difficult to deal with," says Dr. Bartell. "When they experience these types of issues themselves ... it makes them understand that other people may have similar things to deal with (e.g., learning issues, wearing glasses, looking/acting different, etc.) and makes them less likely to tease or make fun of someone else."

I understand the sentiment, but ... I think I'm going to cut off my child's arm when s/he is five years old or so. It'll help them better appreciate people without use of their arm(s).

[Kovalchuk]

11. There's a small chance you could evolve into a TB/DL, and then you can join ADISC, and those people are AWESOME!

[DLGrif]

Top ten reasons:
1) Bedwetting is an experience many people go through. When you meet somebody who is incontinent you're less likely to tease them because you had that problem once.
2) It gives your parents a reason to be concerned for you, a sadly growing need in this generation.
3) You'll learn bladder control techniques again, lengthening the time between bathroom breaks when you're an adult.
4) You'll feel a sense of shame when you wet yourself, and find as many ways to avoid doing so as possible. This teaches you multi-directional problem solving.
5) You'll understand that a relatively minor and global quirk such as this will ostracize you from your peers, and so you will understand society better.
6) Diaper technology has become so cheap and effective that wearing diapers to bed every night is cheaper than doing the laundry, or running the possibility of ruining the mattress, even if you remain dry some nights. The monetary aspect is not as high as it used to be.
7) Due to #6, diapers will most likely be in your future. If the formative years are any indication, "stepping down" from underwear will cause such shame and guilt that you will redouble your efforts towards independence and maturity.

I couldn't get to ten without feeling disgusted. These are bullshit reasons anyways, but psychologically they're more plausible than the marketing scheme Goodnites have set up :P