Fsmily and Parenting. -

Updated on February 26, 2008
R.A. asks from Biloxi, MS
50 answers

Discipline and Behavior

My 8 year old nephew, whom I am rasing, is small for his age and is still using "pull-ups" when he goes to bed. I understand that it is not uncommon
for some children to have this problem and its a problem his grandmother had when she was his age.
We have tried, not driniking liquids after 7:30 p.m. and making sure he empties his bladder before he goes to bed. Also as an incentive I give him a dollar for every dry pull up he has. I have tried to keep our efforts on this issue positive by talking about what it will take for him to be "successful" in having dry pull up.
I am not punitive when he does not have a dry pull up.

Any suggestions on what else I can do?

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So What Happened?

I want to say thank you to all who responded to my request for help with my 8 yr old
bedwetting's issue. I plan to take him to his peditrician and discuss it with him as well. It was great to read about how others dealt with the same issue and to share this with my husband. I will let everyone know how things progress with Brandon. I just want to share something so sweet. Brandon does have two friends in his class who spend the night at our home on occassion. I never told Brandon that he should hide the fact that he was still wearing pull-ups but knowing tht he was embarrased by this he was discreet in getting his pull-up on when he had overnight guests. But one night when his friend Shelby spent the night, Shelby learned about Brandon's "problem." The next day Brandon told me that
Shelby had advised him on this problem and told him that on Brandon's 9th Birthday he should just STOP wearning pullups and that could solve the problem. Brandon was very comforted by this advice and that there was a solution in sight. I was so struck by the compassion and love and concern another 8 year old boy would have for his friend, Brandon, instead of ridiculing and making fun of him.

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M.A.

answers from Lafayette on

I have friends with boys, who had the same problem. She actually took them to the Dr. about it, & the doctor said that it's a very common thing with boys to wet the bed at night until they're older. Her little boy was probably about 8 or 9 years old b-4 he quit wearing his pull=up to bed. I wouldn't worry too much. Some kids go until they are 10 or so b-4 that stops.

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C.F.

answers from Auburn on

I think that he is too old to still be in Pull-ups. You may need to take him in to see a doctor, he may have a weak bladder. At age eight; if he is having accidents at night, it should not be that often/frequent.

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J.W.

answers from Tulsa on

My son's dr. prescribed a medication which was in a nasal spray form, which I believe was to help his muscles in that area. Within a week he was sleeping dry thru the night. I believe we only had to give it to him for a couple of weeks. It was fantastic for all involved, but the change in him because he could socialize w/out fear was best of all!

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R.H.

answers from Florence on

what time do you put him to bed? i wouldnt let him have a drink after 6:00pm. if he gets thirsty after that just let him have a little sip of water.

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C.A.

answers from Shreveport on

Dear R.,
My granddaughter who is 9 now has the same problem. What it , is that there body is growing faster than there bladder. Finally last year my mom took her to the doctor and she takes a pill( I have to find out what it is if you want to know) and she hasnt wet the bed since!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is such a HAPPY little girl now!!!!! She use to be so embrassed and would hide her wet underwear, she couldnt spend the night with her little friends. For her birthday this year I got her a Hanna Montans bag to spend the night with me,(her Nanna) it has a small zipper on the side,and I also got her a tiny pill box holder so she can always have her med. with her. At first when she would come stay the weekend with me we would always forget her pill and have go go back to the house. Now it is just natural for her to take it. It really made a difference in her life... My baby isnt ashamed any more. The name of the med is Desmopressin Acetate. They start on a low dose and then adjust it later. She started on 0.2 mg. but now has to take 0.4mg The side effect is they stay awake longer but after it gets in their systom there are no side effects... I hope this helps you and your grandson and I know it will help him so much.
Have a good day,
C. A.

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L.R.

answers from Fayetteville on

He may have a medical problem - meaning his muscles haven't developed enough for him to hold it overnight which he would out grow eventually. My friend had the same issue with her daughter (which was also hereditary). You should talk to his pediatrician about it just in case it is something serious. It is so important not to get upset with him when he has accidents because more than likely he can't control it (it doesn't sound like you are). My pediatrician had recommended going through the motions of getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom in the dark with my son when we were potty training him. Some kids sleep so sound that they have trouble waking up and going through the motions of getting to the bathroom. My son had woke up in the middle of the night and went in his toy box. Anyway, I digress. Good luck! I hope it gets easier for you and your nephew.

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J.F.

answers from Birmingham on

I would not worry; boys develop the nighttime staying dry thing later than girls. Just one night he will most likely do it and that will be it. I would let his pediatrician know in case there is another issue there. I would start to worry in another year or so when the kids his age start having spend the night parties. That should be a goal. Good for you for not punishing him; stay positive ... he really can't help it. Someone told me to put them in regular underwear and when they wake up yucky wet and need to change their own sheets, they might be more apt to work on it

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M.B.

answers from Fayetteville on

I personally had this problem and finnally out grew it. I also have a son that did this and he also out grew it. My parents were not so understanding about the situation. I did research on it when I inturn had to deal with it and it is just some thing that children will out go some earlier than others. It is also more common in boys than in girls. Show support and continue to limit fluids especially milk, it is a muscle relaxer. Make sure that your nephew empties his bladder good before going to bed and try getting him up once during the night if he is able to return to sleep easily. I know that the extra laundry can be a hassle but time will prevail. Good luck.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Depending on why the kids' mother was not able to take care of them, the bedwetting may be psychological. Have you tried taking him to a therapist who specializes in children?
It may also be due to a physical ailment or abnormality with his urinary system. Have you taken him to a pediatrician and/or a urologist?

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E.P.

answers from Shreveport on

My 9 year old has the same problem. We have been to many pediatritions for it, and they all say the same thing. "she will have to grow out of it. We have tried all the options : no drinks before bed, rewards, drugs ( desmopressin ) etc.. and the best advice so far was to ignore the problem and be patient until they grow out of it, which might not be till 12 years old. We have graduated from pull-ups to goodnights, and now thinking we'll have to prepare for adult diapers,such as depends, in the near future . She has learned to deal with it also in terms of sleep overs, she even goes to church camps and has her own way of sneaking on her pull- up and disposing of it. If she is caught she isn't ashamed to tell her friends and they seem to accept it. Sorry this doesn't bring you much hope, but it made our lives easier when we stopped looking for answers and started to deal with it.

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J.L.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Hi R.

Do you have access to a computer? Does the eight year old have basic computer skills? Empower him by having him search some of the nickelodean sites etc for bedwetting solutions. I am a firm believer if we give the young the tools they need to solve their problems we also empower them to not fear other problems and develop resilience.

I am sure that everyone has told you children often regress when a major life issue has happened. Having his mom no longer be able to care for him is going to set him back to a developmental issue level of 2-5 ish and that would be during the toileting phase of course now mixes in control issues. So one way is to show him how people actually work on problems.

For instance:
1. We recognize it is a problem (cant sleep over friends houses for example)
2. Wet beds can cause us to get sick

3. It sure is cold at night and in the morning to wake up wet

4. what a pain to change the bed EVERYDAY.

THEN we use the computer to :

1. see if I am not alone

2. what do other kids do to stop

3. Look up what could be causing this

4. Learn that sometimes people react to changes in their lives and that in a few days or a couple of weeks all will begin to slow down into a new routine and although it is different it is ok.

5. Then the most amazing wonderful aspect of this is after he conquers his situation he can log on and HELP someone ELSE conquer theirs because he has 'been there done that' and understands - helping kids learn that experiences good and bad and difficult are what we all go through and then we help others go through them builds resilience - that could be your greatest gift to this child empower both of them to lover their mother inspite of her fallibility and to encourage them to grow to be strong and happy in spite of not so normal circumstances.

Good luck and know that he will not graduate high school wetting the bed so you can relax a bit - this will ease up in time. you didn't say how long it had been since mom's caregiving switched from primary to secondary or none at all. I am only speculating because of the bedwetting that things have not normalized yet.

take care and god bless you for taking the two into your heart and home.

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A.L.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Frankly, I wouldn't worry about it. Many boys take longer than others to be dry at night. In my family, it is not usual for boys to have night accidents until 13 or 14. My son is 21 and pullups weren't invented yet so he wore depends until he was 14. Then, he just magically stopped needing them.

I would suggest that you take him to a urologist just to make sure there is nothing physically wrong. If there isn't, just treat it as a "no big deal" situation. The more you make of it (even if it seems positive to you), the more it's on his mind and the more it will bother him.

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E.

answers from Fayetteville on

Well, my oldest was diagnosed with ADD at 9 years old. They put her on Adderall for it. Well, it helped through the day with her studies at school, but she would come home and just be very tired all evening and then she would just crash at bedtime. Well, she was sleeping so sound that she wouldn't wake to go to the bathroom. The doctor put her on some nose spray that makes their sleep lighter so she would wake through the night turning over and stuff. This helped her because when she would stir, she would get up and go to the bathroom. It was only a matter of maybe 6 months and she was able to stop the nose spray. I hope this helps. I don't like medication in children unless it's just absolutely necessary. Good luck!

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B.P.

answers from Jackson on

R.,

First, I would like to encourage you. I know this can be frustrating. I have firsthand experience with the problem.

Bedwetting usually happens because of an inability to wake up in the middle of the night. The child sleeps too deeply to be awakened by the urge to urinate. Most kids will eventually outgrow this, but it can take awhile.

I wet the bed until I was thirteen. I saw this story about a bedwetting alarm on TV one day and it gave me an idea. I saved up my money to buy an alarm clock. I set it for midnight and every night I would get up when it went off and go to the bathroom. After awhile I was able to wake up without the alarm.

The bedwetting alarms are still available too. They cost around $50. They have sensors in them that go off as soon as the child starts to wet and an alarm sounds to wake the child up. I bought one of these to use with my son (13, still wets) but even though it was very loud he still slept through it.

The only thing I have found that helps with my son is every night when I get up to go to the bathroom I wake him up and make him go too. I have to shake him until he wakes up.

Bedwetting is not something the child has any control over. No one wants to wake up all wet and stinky. For that reason, neither rewards or punishment are effective on their own. However, combining rewards with a tool designed to help him could improve the results. You can get the boy some sort of alarm and explain to him that he can use it to wake himself up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night so that he is less likely to wet. Then offer rewards when he is successful.

Good luck to you.

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K.B.

answers from Shreveport on

I have this issue with my 7 year old son. Here is what we do:
1. no carbonated beverages
2. only water after dinner (milk with dinner)
3. nothing to drink after 7
4. potty, potty, potty! If I'm still up at ten, I potty him one last time....

Good luck!

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D.P.

answers from Biloxi on

My son was 10 before he stopped wetting the bed. For him it just took time to have him get use to waking himself up if he had to go. My brother had the same problem. My mom bought a "blanket"of some sort from Sears (this is years ago) that had an alarm to it. And that is what it took for him. If he peed then it would go off and wake him up. Some boys just tend to have more of a difficulty. Be patient and it will happen. YOu are so smart not to be harsh or punitive!! Good Luck...

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C.I.

answers from Fort Smith on

What a blessing you are! I really think that when children wet the bed, they are sleeping too deeply to wake up and go. My almost 6 year old just started wearing panties. She sometimes sleep walks to the bathroom. A good friend of mine spent years waking her child during the night and taking him to the bathroom. She finally got tired of that and found this pad with an alarm (on the internet) that goes off when moisture first hits it. It took some discipline to get up when she heard the alarm and make him wake up and go to the bathroom, but it was short lived. He will be 8 in a week and hasn't wet the bed since August! My thought is that the mat trains the brain to awaken to the urge to go, rather than to sleep through it. My almost 10 year old nephew still wets the bed occasionally. He has told me that he woke up dry, but was too tired to get up so he just went back to sleep. He then woke up wet. I think that the first time was his body's attempt to wake him. Good luck!

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C.G.

answers from New Orleans on

could you maybe try waking him up to go use the bathroom a couple of hours after he goes to sleep? maybe it could help him learn that full bladder feeling and to get up and go on his own during the night if he needs to.

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D.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

hi,
i have a 8 and 11 year old.
my 11 year old went through the same thing.
and then my 8 year old followed suit.

so we have done for both of them.
we took them to the dr.
she said stop giving him caffine drinks.
and no liquids after 6:30.
this helped but was not a cure.
she prescribed my son desmopressin it is kinda expensive.
but it does work, and better than spending the money on pull ups.
my 11 year old was on it when he was 8 and now has no problems (and no side effects).
my 8 year old has now started it and is doing very well on it.
you start out taking two pills a night for 5 months then taper off.
it is well worth it.
do understand it is not anything he can controle.

check into it, it sure has made a diffence in my boys lives.

desmopressin

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J.S.

answers from Oklahoma City on

R.,

Have you taken him to see a doctor? I think I would do that to make sure it isn't anything physical that could be taken care of. Sometimes bathroom issues are also psychological. I would definitely get him checked out by a doctor first. I train school age staff for a large corporation. Since your grandson is eight, this could be a big self esteem issue for him in school and dealing with his peers.

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E.M.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My 14 year old grandson was helped with bedwetting by using the ionic foot bath at full circle health clinic in Edmond, they also do footbaths at other locations. This foot bath pulls out toxins that accumulate in the body and these toxins sometimes irritate the bladder. Also you may want to eliminate simple sugars, pop, bread, pasta etc as sugar while it tastes good is actually an irritant. If possible listen to the 3rd opinion with Dr. Mary Schrick 7 am until 9 am on station 890 AM you can call in ###-###-#### and she will be glad to advise on air. God Bless, E.

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R.D.

answers from Fayetteville on

If the after seven does not work then I would seek medical help. I would defiantly not reward or discipline for this "problem". A lot of time this can be psychological or an actual medical problem.

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S.S.

answers from Montgomery on

I had this problem with my oldest daughter. It was a blessing when they finally came out with pull-ups :-)

The one thing we learned was it was not OUR problem, it was HERS. She had her pull-ups. She knew how to put them on, she knew what to do with them when they did get wet, she knew how to change her own bed when they happened to leak. It was HER problem and HER responsibility to take care of.

We had tried the bribery. Didn't help. We tried punitive punishment. Didn't help. We restricted fluids. Didn't help. We tried medicine answers (those did work but did ugly things to her personality).

The best answer we got was to ignore it and make it her responsibility. Some kids brains take longer for the hormone to kick in that slows down their kidneys when they go to sleep. With him being small for his age this is a real good possibility...

Hope this helps. Good luck.
S.

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S.B.

answers from Montgomery on

R.,

Sound like this little guy has been through a lot of changes. This could be a reaction to the change of home - but it could also be that his sleep/wake cycles are off. The number #1 thing is to be positive - for an 8 year old boy, not being able to go to sleepovers and nights out with other boys is hard. My son was almost 10 before he was completely dry and he lived in mortal fear that his friends would find out about his problem - so please don't make a big deal about it and do not let his sister use it as a point of teasing!!!
What we did was to make it his job to change the situation, we put an alarm clock - get the 1 that has 2 settings - in his room right by his bed. He set the clock for 12am and again at 3am. Both times he had to get out of bed and go to the bathroom. It did not matter if he needed to go, he had to try. After a few days of sucess, then change it to just 1 time per night and then eventually his body will begin to wake him up. Many boys at that age sleep so soundly that they literaly cannot hear thier bodies tell them to get up. If this does not work, then I think it is imortatant to look to pschiatric therapies.

Hope this helps - know that you are doing God's work taking care of these precious children!!!

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N.L.

answers from Shreveport on

My grandson has the same problem and he is almost 12. My daughter took him to the doctor and got some meds to give him at night. Another suggestion might be to try waking him up once during the night and see if that helps.

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A.W.

answers from Mobile on

Take the child to a doctor that specializes in urinary problems like with the bladder and kidneys. For him to be 8 years old and still using pull ups is a bit extreme and if he does have urinary problems, they may be able to recommend a pill like for overactive bladder or if it is his kidneys, he may need to see a kidney specialist. This needs to be addressed by more than just a pediatrician even if it may be a hereditary thing or if it may be other things involved.

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T.C.

answers from Tulsa on

I have the same problem with my daughter who is 10 years. I took her to the doctor about it when she was 8, because she felt self-conscious about it during slumber parties. We tried the buzzer, etc. They recommended medication (which some friends of ours use on their boy - but only during sleepovers) I don't think the medication is necessary. Wet pull-ups is something they cannot control at all so rewarding and punishing is useless. I think the less you make of it will be better for him. My daughter is not ashamed of it, which I'm glad because she cannot help it. My neice wore them until early teens. It is something they have to outgrow unless you want to medicate them. Good luck!!

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S.C.

answers from Shreveport on

My 8 year old daughter has always had this same problem, up until about a year and a half ago. We took her to the dr. and they gave her some meds to take at night before bed and it was like magic!!!! The doctors told me that her bladder is just not growing as fast as she is and that it will eventually catch up, so until then for her sanity and mine we will take the meds. She takes two a night and as long as she takes her pills which she does every night without even having to be told then we don't even have an accident. They are wonderful!!! She can spend the night at friends houses now and have friends spend the night with her and doesn't have to worry about being ashamed. Please take your nephew to the doctor asap it will make things so much easier on the both of you. If the prescribe him only one pill a night and he is still having accidents don't worry just call your doctor and tell them they need to up the prescription. Good luck and believe me when I say these meds changed your lives...

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M.T.

answers from Texarkana on

R., First may God bless you (and I know He will) for taking your niece & nephew into your heart and into your home.

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Giving praise when he succeeds and not making a big deal out of it when he doesn't. I'm sure you have already had him checked out by the dr. to see if there is rule out a physical cause.

I was in an orphans home from ages 8 to 10. I wet the bed several times a week the whole time I was there. (This was in the 50's & the matrons there did not understand that this had nothing to do with physically control, it was all emotional) After I was adopted at age 10 I never wet the bed again.

Your nephew is probably still has some emotional issues because of the separation from his mother, even though he was fairly young when it happened.
. You might try talking to him about his feelings. Would be a good idea to talk to a family counselor or other professional to find out what questions to ask or how best to lead into the conversation.

Joyce Meyer made a statement once that "what is buried alive, will never die." Feelings and hurts from our past will resurface at some point in our lives, in different ways.

I will keep your and your little ones in my prayers. You are amazing person ! Sheilea T

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J.F.

answers from Little Rock on

I wet the bed until I was 8. My parents had a company come to our house and set this machine up in my room. It looked like a screen from a window and had a plastic sheet underneath it. It was connected to an alarm that sounded if a drop of urine touched the screen. I would have to get up, turn off the alarm, go to the bathroom and clean up. Then I had a card that looked like a time card I would have to right down what time it was and those had to be mailed in weekly. Then I had to change my sheet and wipe down the plastic thing and go back to sleep.

My stepson was 7 and still wetting the bed and was embarassed about it. We bought a plastic cover for the mattress and took him out of pullups and let him wet the bed. We would make him get up, clean up, get changed, change his sheets and go back to bed. After a while he got tired of it. And in 3 or 4 weeks, I believe it was, he stopped.

Hope this helps!

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J.P.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Have you seen a pediatric urologist yet? I live in Oklahoma city and we recently went and saw one at Children's Hospital. My daughter is 5 1/2 and still wets everynight. He said that sometimes if you do not have a bowel movement as often as you should, it presses on the bladder, which then never gets empty. He said to give our daughter meralax everyday and see if that helps at all. Then he said for us to try a bed alarm. It vibrates or rings when it feels wet which wakes the child. You can get them off of ebay. Then if that doesn't help, there is always a medicine that is called DDAVP. It is nightly pill that works. Please contact me if you have any questions.

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J.C.

answers from Mobile on

I went thru this with my daughter who is 25 now. The advise I was given was to wake her before I went to bed at night and walk her to the bathroom help to go the bathroom. Most of the time she was asleep. At this age , the problem of bedwetting is common. Some children , have problems emptying their bladders all the way, a cause of bedwetting, so they have no control. They will grow out of it. You are doing the right thing by not calling attention to the problem and making the child feel terrible.If I was awake at night , I would again walk het to the bathroom, after awhile she learned to empty her bladder all the way. I hope I helped some.

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M.L.

answers from Tulsa on

R., my son who just turned 9 just stopped wetting the bed this past fall when he was 'almost 9'. The main thing that we had to do was wake him up at 11 pm to pee and then he was usually dry all night. My son is a very active kid that would wear himself out every day playing sports or some other activity. Then he would crash at 8:30 barely able to be roused so if he fell asleep on the couch it was very difficult to get him into bed. Usually at 11 when we got him up he was sleep walking. His body was simply too tired to keep his bladder shut!
Anyway, quite suddenly he stopped wetting the bed and we no longer have to wake him up. He sometimes is able to wake himslef up now in the middle of the night. Other things we tried that worked temporarily were chiropractic and acupuncture and no liquids after 6pm. Chiropractic actually has a pretty good success rate with this problem, so if you a have access, then give that a try too. But don't worry, he is just about to out grow this problem. M

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K.A.

answers from Fayetteville on

I was in a similar situation as a grandmother raising her grandson. He wore pullups until he was 12! Both my son and daughter (his mother) also wet the bed until that age. OPur family has a history of having a small bladder and it appears that it does not get to it's full capapcity until about 12. This may the case with you nephew. I would suggest that since this is NOT his fault (just a function of his body) that you just have him use the pullup and not say a word unless it's dry. It may be years before he stops completely. I know this is hard to hear. I know I was frustrated and tried everything. What finally worked was just the acceptance that childens' bladders grow at different rates and that your nephew's will too!

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J.H.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Has he been checked by a good pediatrician...who may refer him to a urologist? It is my understanding that a bladder that has not matured can cause this problem. Also, allergies are a big factor. The very emotional separation from his mother is enough to cause a problem for him. Can you imagine the questions he is asked at school? Even well meaning adults can make a child feel like the real parent was not willing to be there for them. They usually interpret that to mean they (the child) was not worthy.
You are commended for raising these children and bless you for asking for help. I believe it is true that "it takes a village".

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D.B.

answers from Pine Bluff on

One suggestion is maybe his bladder can't wait. You may have to help him train his bladder. If he has to use the bathroom try to make him wait 5, then 10 next time, then 15 minutes. Increase the time until he can hold it for about 15-20 minutes. Or it could have a lot to do with the move. I know it was 4 years ago but we don't always realize how tramatic it can be not to be with mom. I think if you have an open communication with him and open to answer any questions about why he is living with you it might change things. Some children are insecure at night and a lot of bed wetting is due to the insecurity. Just keep it positive, keep praising him for dry nights! I have a family member that was a bed wetter until age 10 so be positive that he will eventually grow out of it.

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B.K.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My oldest daughter had bed-time wetting issues. In researching this and talking to the doctors, it is actually not a bladder problem, but a sleep disorder. The child is unable to wake himself up to go to the bathroom. Her doctor put on Imipriamine (generic) to help her with this. It helped a lot, though not full proof. The thing I regret most was thinking that she had full control over this and she was just being totoally lazy to get herself up to go to the bathroom. It was definitely NOT anything she could control. I would even sacrifice my sleep by waking her up every 2-3 hours. This did not help at all.
I would encourage you to talk with your doctor and do everything possible to not make him feel bad about this. It is such a common thing. I would wash bedding and pajamas all of the time. Thankfully she has now grown out of it.

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J.O.

answers from Tulsa on

First of all I would like to commend you on doing something few people can, that is step up when a perent steps out. This is wonderful. The next thing I would like to say is this. You nephew is not uncommon, nor abnormal, and you need to constantly remind yourself, and HIM, of this. Always trying to be positive about his situation is hard, I know from experience, but it can turn him into one of the most incredible humans on earth if you handle it right.

For one thing, it doesn't matter if he drinks at night. It is not a matter of his bladder being full or empty. It is a matter of his sleep being so deep that he is not aware of his urge to go. Yes, not drinking might help, but usually it just leads to frustration when he still wakes up wet.

Here is what we did, maybe this will help. For one, go to the hospital, or a hospital supply store, and get a couple of the bed pads that they use in the geriatric ward. They are not plastic, but rather a cotton front with a waterproof material on the back. The plastic backed ones make noise at night, keeping the child awake all night. Secondly, if he is comfortable using the pull ups then let him, who cares...and really whose business is it anyway? (wink,wink)

Next, dont reward him for dry nights with a dollar, but with reassurance, like "see I told you it will pass, and eventually this will be every night." The reason for this is that you are reaffirming for him that it is something he can control by rewarding him, but really it isn't something he can control. He needs your reassuring words and praise a whole lot more than a dollar.

Finally, put the responsibility of the matter in his hands. Remind him that he must clean up himself and his bed linens. That doesn't mean teach him to use the washer, but rather, just gather everything off the bed if it is wet, and make sure he takes a shower(put a temp regulator on the tub so it will only reach a certain degree). This gives him a certain privacy in a matter that can be so dreadfully embarassing. If he puts his clothes, sheets, etc. in the washer himself, then all he has to say is "Auntie, run the washer." This can become a code between you two that an acccident occured, but nothing else has top be said.

My daughter was nine when she finally passed this "problem". And two years later she might still have an occurance here or there. But I see that she is very sensitive to others and the difficulties they face, and almost always finds solutions which are in the comfort zone of the person with the problem, like code words and such. It has opened a door for her, and it can be a door for your nephew as well, as long as he thinks that your okay with it. Kids are funny like that, if your ok then they are ok too.

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T.P.

answers from Tuscaloosa on

You might try waking him up every night before you go to bed to quietly help him to the bathroom and back to bed. They also alarms that will wake him up when he starts to go. I think they sell them at www.onestepahead.com.

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K.W.

answers from Gadsden on

My daughter discovered that when her 4 year old went to bed with a pull up she wet it. When she had panties on she woke up and went to the bathroom. I would be sure it isn't a medical problem and then I wouldn't make a big deal of it.

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K.S.

answers from Huntsville on

Hi R.. We have a member of the extended family who wet the bed into his 12th year. No one was allowed to discuss it. Everybody thought he was doing it on purpose, so they made him change his sheets when it happened - you know the usual punishment. Turns out it was a complete medical problem - his bladder was small and just hadn't developed at the rate his thirst had! He lived with both parents, so he did not have a psychological issue - just a truly medical one. They did not have pull-ups back then (this was 20 years ago) just undies that you had to change out each morning. Be careful of the meds. We as a society as quick to throw a pill at it, which in turn causes some long term side effect years down the road. If your doctor does want to prescribe meds, consider alternative medicine before you do the pills. Good luck.

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E.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

R.,

My Son had the same problem. I took him in for counseling and learned that this is the only thing a child has control over in their life, therefore, it could be more than just a wetting problem??? We are a military family and the excessive moving in the first few years of our Son's life had an impact on him that we did not understand at the time. Since you are single, maybe there is an underlieing emotion for your Son that is causing this?? Just a suggestion. We took the same approach regarding being positive and letting him know that we love him regardless! It will pass with time.

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K.B.

answers from Birmingham on

R.,

Bless you for taking in your neice and nephew. If you are having to raise him, bed wetting is just a symptom of a more serious psychological issue with him. Please take him to a qualified child psychologist. He probably has some emotional issues that need professional help so he won't suffer any longer.

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D.M.

answers from Pine Bluff on

R., my sister had a similiar problem growing up and so did her two sons. I would not only look at the liquids that he is drinking but also the amount of sugar or simple carbohydrates that he is consuming during the day. It may be a situation of his body struggling with pancreas and blood sugar levels. Frequent urination can be a sign of the body trying to get rid of excess sugar.
D.

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K.K.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I had that problem years ago with my oldest child was 6 or 7 years old and I found that if would wake her up and make her go the bathroom she didn't wet the bed after a short time. she was such a sound sleeper she didn't realize what she was doing. At that time I didn't go to bed until around 11:00 or 12:00, so she had been asleep for about 3 to 4 hours. It did work. You might try that. Hope you have success. Remember when my daughter was young there wasn't any pull-ups of things of that nature. good luck.

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C.M.

answers from Tulsa on

There is a medicine that kids can take called DDAVP the generic is Desmopressin. My daughters dr prescribed it to her because she still uses pull-ups at 9yrs. It reduces the amount of fluid produced at night. We also have done everything else including offer her an IPOD/cell phone but she is just unable to wake-up and has a small bladder.

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K.J.

answers from Lawton on

R. we are having the same problems with our two grandsons that is 9 yrs old and 11 yrs old we have to make them wear pullups at night also because they wet the bed also. we have tried everything under the sun and things with these two grandsons. back when my daughter and her first husband was together he would tell the boys if u get out of bed that big bugs will crawl on them and things. he made them deliberately afraid of the dark. they will not get up out of bed after the lights is out and things. our house is pretty well lit up at nite and things and they still won't get up and go the bathroom. if u find out how to do this please let me know of any suggestions also. i thought by now at least the 11 yr old would already be broke to quick wetting the bed at nite and things. but i guess not.

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M.H.

answers from Mobile on

When did your nephew begin bedwetting? Was he staying dry before he came to live with you? The reason I ask is that maybe it has something to with being taken from his M..

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J.D.

answers from Mobile on

I have a child that just turned 17 and still wets the bed. We have tried meds and a now we are seeing our 2nd urologist. The 1st did nothing for us. I have insisted that they persue this issue on his life but no one cared what I thought. This urologist is finally running all kinds of tests on him. Check with your family physician about meds for first and see if that helps. If that doesnt help pursue a urologist and demand them to run test. Come to find out, last week, my son doesnt empty his bladder when he goes to the bathroom. Good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Fayetteville on

My sister had the same problem when we were growing up. When she was 8 or 9 my mom took her to the Dr, for it and he gave her some medicine that she took before bed. It helped her sleep a little lighter so she could feel and wake-up when she needed to go to the bathroom. Also, my husband had this same issue and was never taken to the Dr. for it, but outgrew it by the time he was 13.

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