ma17 athens parent.qxp:ja07 athens parent.qxp
3/22/17
1:01 PM
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bedwetting WET SHEETS, DRY EYES
NOSH S
ummer is here, and for the majority of kids in America that means school is out and two months of freedom begins. A lot of kids will be heading off to camp, going on vacations with friends and family, and having tons of sleepovers. What a fun time, right? Well what if you’re a bed-wetter? Camp, vacations, and sleepovers aren’t so much fun when there is the constant threat of wet sheets and the shame and torment that accompanies them. So, how can we ensure our kids, and ourselves, that there is no reason to worry? A parent’s instinct is to protect their kids. This is a very good thing, not only for physical health, but also for emotional health. But how do you protect your kid from a wet bottom – and the embarrassment and cruel teasing from other children that often come with it? Bed-wetting is one of those glorious challenges that can greatly impact both the physical and mental well-being of your child. If your child is a bed-wetter, rest assured he is not alone. One in ten 7-year-olds and one in twenty 10-year-old kids wet the bed. The best thing we can do to protect any child who is experiencing this phase in life is to minimize shame. Sure, we can drink fewer fluids before bed and reduce (or better yet, eliminate) caffeinated beverages, but with most cases of bed-wetting, it’s more than a matter of liquids. It’s a matter of internal communication between the brain and the bladder that can’t be rushed. For some children, as they grow and develop, their bladder has a hard time getting the brain to wake up the body.There is nothing wrong with them. It’s just the body’s natural course of development.This is a phase their body is going through, and the majority of people simply grow out of it. Of course, sleeping away from home creates added stress. (As if your child’s developing brain
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Athens-Oconee Parent