Does your child feel "different" from others?

When your child thinks, This will never get better.

For children, time passes differently. A problem they have had for weeks may well seem forever. If they are the last children in their class or group of friends to wet the bed, they may feel that their problem will last forever. Children who feel this may get discouraged and upset by the problem. Reassure your child that the problem is temporary. If possible, have other family members discuss their own bedwetting experiences (and how they overcame it) with your child. Collect stories in the press of celebrities who wet the bed as children but outgrew it (celebrities will sometimes mention this sort of thing - or their biographers will - in interviews). This will help convince your child that the problem is only temporary.

When your child thinks, I'm not normal.

Children of a certain age worry very much about fitting in. Anything that interrupts this often causes undue upset. Whether it is not having the right shoes or being different because of a medical condition, children who do not feel that they belong experience lots of stress. If your child thinks that he or she is the last 6-year-old (or 8-year-old or 16-year-old) that still wets the bed, your child may conclude that there is something wrong with them. Have your doctor talk to your child and assure him or her that bedwetting is normal. Better yet, follow the advice above - have people that your child sees as normal talk about their childhood bedwetting. Once your child realizes that he or she is not strange by wetting the bed, some of the anxiety will decrease.

When your child thinks, It takes so much time and work.

Ok, this is the cry of most parents who are faced with a child who wets the bed, but your child may also face anxiety about the upheaval that a wet night causes, especially if there are other people around to witness the fuss. If your child spends lots of time trying to work with bedwetting remedies or spends extra time cleaning up, he or she may also resent the time and work bedwetting takes up. You can make bedwetting less of a problem for you and your child by making clean-up easier. Have your child wear absorbent underpants while trying to control bedwetting, or at least protect the bed and pillows with protective mattress liners. Keep extra bed linens and cleaning products in your child's room so that clean-up takes only a minute. Do larger loads of laundry to save some time, if you can.

When your child thinks, I'm ashamed.

Many children are shamed by bedwetting - usually by the remarks made by a parent or another child. In general, a child is made to feel ashamed because those around him or her seem to make bedwetting a big deal or a sign of failure. You can prevent your child from being ashamed by sticking to a no attitude yourself. Make sure that your home is a no-t big deal ease zone and do not let other adults belittle your child. If a well-meaning relative starts to say something to your child about wetting the bed, praise your child publicly for doing well. Saying something as simple as Oh, John is doing much better with that now. Were all very proud of him right to an adult who is making your child feel ashamed will make your child feel better. Positive reinforcement of any kind, in fact, will help your child. One of the best antidotes to shame is showing your child that you love and are proud of them.