4. Don’t Get Angry
Getting angry with your child is likely to prolong the bedwetting stage, because your anger will add pressure on them to stay dry, which could make the problem worse (especially if stress or trauma is the root cause). Wetting the bed is often uncontrollable, and happens when a child is sleeping, so it’s often not possible for them to voluntarily stop bed wetting.
Instead, Scott J. Goldstein, M.D., an Instructor of Clinical Pediatrics at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago suggests that you don’t make a big deal about the accidents. “You shouldn’t worry about it unless he is embarrassed and asks you for help,” he says.
Dr. Bennett agrees, but suggests that parents should still address the situation in a calm and comforting way. “Often, when parents don’t talk about bedwetting, children think they are the only ones going through it,” he points out. “Reassure your child that he is not alone, and that bedwetting is very normal among his age group.”
In fact, there are some studies that suggest that bedwetting is hereditary. If you, or a family member experienced bedwetting as a child, then share your own experiences with your child and let them know that it is a normal stage, and they will grow out of it.