It is natural for parents to feel disappointed when their kids would have night time accidents, especially if the children have been full potty trained. But it is important to understand that this is common and your child is not an isolated case. Surveys have showed that 1 out of 5, five year olds would experience bed wetting.
Some parents may feel that this is very stressful, but it is more stressful on the child. It is not a childs dream to wake up in the middle of night in wet pyjamas and soaking sheets. Understand that your child is not doing this to rebel or go against you. Over reacting about the incidents would only make the situation and the problem worse.
Here are some things that parents should say or do when dealing with their bed wetting kids.
Reassurance is important. Children may be disappointed when they cannot control their pee. They may feel frustrated since they think that they are the only ones who are still wetting their bed. Bed wetting children may feel isolated at times, since they could not go to sleepovers or camps because of their bed wetting. Make your child understand on how common bed wetting is among children, it is just that most children are embarrassed to talk about it. You could even share a story of another bed wetting member of the family who was able to get over it.
Keep your childs self-image intact. During this stage, your child may feel that he has disappointed you and himself. Keep the accidental night time wetting in perspective. Motivate your kid to do better.
You could do some motivational peeing. This would involve your child visualizing himself getting up in the middle of the night and relieving himself. Cheer him up, you could drop a kiss and a word motivating him to stay dry through the night.
You could also play pretend. There are some children who do not bed wet when they are sleeping in other homes which means that they cannot achieve the deep sleep in sleepovers. You could ask your child to pretend that they are sleeping in other peoples house and imagine that they would be dry in the morning. Eventually, the child would have dry nights at home when his mind and body connection matures.
Never fall into the bad patterns. Avoid nagging your child about bed wetting.
Having your child participate in sheet changing could surely make the process faster, however do not make sheet changing a sentence or a punishment. You could still involve then with sheet changing as long as they are up for it.
Do not punish. Treat bed wetting as a no-big-deal. Do not scold or ground him from any activities. Kids would mature and eventually outgrow bed wetting. Just make sure that you make your child understand that you are meant on helping him stay dry.
Maintain communication with your child. You may even be looking for a possibility of emotional stress as a cause of bed wetting.