“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for GoodNites* TRU-FIT*. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.”
I’m sure I am not the only one out there who has had a bedwetter. It is a pretty common problem that a lot of parents end up having to deal with. In fact, a GoodNites® brand study found that 1 in 6 children between the ages of 4 and 12 struggle with bedwetting. It can be frustrating and hard to understand when you have one child who potty trains and stays dry at night with no problem, and then the next child wakes up wet every morning for years past the age of three. So, how can we deal with bedwetting in the most effective way? Here are a few ideas.
First of all, it is important to keep in mind that children who struggle to stay dry at night have very little control over the situation. Dr. Bennett, from the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep two issues in mind. “First, bedwetting is common, and children should not be punished for it. Second, parents should always remember that bedwetting is a medical problem — it happens because a child’s brain and bladder are not communicating with each other at night.” source Some children’s bodies don’t produce the hormone that tells the brain to slow urine production at night and so their bladder fills up just as it does during the day making it difficult to stay dry. A small bladder capacity, constipation, or difficulty arousing from sleep can also contribute to the problem.
The most important thing we need to do as parents of children who wet the bed is to avoid punishing them, shaming them, and to stop others from ridiculing or making fun of them for having this problem. Often, children who struggle with bedwetting shy away from social situations where their problem might be discovered- such as sleepovers. And as parents we feel anxiety about them having a problem at a sleepover as well. I know I do. Our children feel bad enough about it as it is without having a negative self-image reinforced by those they love over a problem that really is not their fault.
This is not a problem that you can necessarily train out of a child, though studies show 43 percent of parents think that you can. You can try limiting fluids at night, but that will just make them wet a little less– not keep them dry. Punishing them for waking up wet will not train them out of it. Rewarding them for staying dry will not train them out of it. The best thing we can do is help preserve their emotional well-being and self-esteem by helping them understand why they are struggling and that eventually their body will figure out how to stay dry. We need to help them understand that they don’t need to feel guilty or ashamed about something they have no control over. And we can make the situation more comfortable for them and for ourselves with some products that are available to help with this situation.
One of the best products available is GoodNites* TRU-FIT* Underwear.
I like these for three reasons: #1- they reduce the amount of wash you need to do after a night time accident to a pair of underwear, #2- your child doesn’t have to feel embarrassed that they are wearing a diaper or pull-up- they are wearing real underwear that is machine washable, and #3- I found as my child was finally growing out of the bedwetting problem, she was in the habit of wetting at night if she had a pull-up on, but if I put her in underwear, her brain registered that it was underwear and that she shouldn’t wet in it, so GoodNites* TRU-FIT* Underwear gives the child the feeling of underwear, but with the added protection should an accident occur. And I’m not the only one who likes them. 87 percent of moms said this product would give their kid more confidence.
You can find them at Walmart in a variety of sizes and styles for both girls and boys. They are simple to use. The way they work is your child wears the underwear with an absorbent, disposable insert that keeps their pajamas and sheets dry. You just throw away the insert in the morning and the underwear goes in the laundry. You can see them and get more information here and here.
If you are looking for a better overall bedwetting product, give yourself a break from laundry and your child added confidence by using GoodNites* TRU-FIT* Underwear.
You can download a GoodNites* TRU-FIT* coupon for $2 off at https://www.goodnites.com/our-products/goodnites-trufit/