Name: Jolson
From: Scottsdale, AZ
Number of Kids: 3
Ages: 3 months, 3 years, 10 year old (step)
Problem: I have a 10 year old step son who does not live with us but he stays with us every other weekend. He has always been a bed wetter. I have been unsuccessful in getting my husband to support me in my concern to just look into the problem. I do not feel comfortable going beyond him to the ex-wife and I try never to embarrass him about it. We are taking a family trip this summer to my family's cabin and feel like I should be able to request that he wear something at night to protect the beds.
Solution submitted by No Name: Good Nights made by huggies work very well. They look just like underwear but protect like a diaper you can buy them in two sizes medium is through 65 pounds and the large is to 85 pounds. I have seen lots of families at Disney using them in the daytime on 5 and 6 year olds also.
Another solution submitted by Mabear of Phoenix: This problem was one our family had to deal with too, and when the time came that our (then) 8 year old was able to stay dry all night, we saw wonderful changes in his overall attitude. Our physician gave us a mail order form for a small alarm called "sleep dry." I was so skeptical because the alarm would only go off if the underwear began to get wet. I thought "Oh great, just when its too late." After I read their literature though, I understood that for some children, my son for one, the brain does not receive the message that the bladder needs to be emptied. They sleep too soundly and the message goes unrecognized. The alarm goes off at the point when the bladder is full and after 2-5 weeks of nightly "training," the habit of recognizing and waking up is firmly ingrained. It was wonderful. It worked. Some children learn fast...our son finished in 4 weeks which is longer than normal. I can quite happily say, "who cares" though, because wet beds are now a thing of the past. Whew! Please check with your pediatrician and best of luck.
Please submit any more solutions.