TO REWARD OR NOT TO REWARD YOUR CHILD ?
Why a rewards system is NOT the best bedwetting solution in children.
Rewards are often put forward as a solution to solving bedwetting (enuresis) in children 7 years and over. Many well-meaning health professionals or family members will suggest a reward system. A sticker chart, money or similar is encouraged if the night nappy is to be removed or trying to encourage dry nights. The biggest problem with this is the poor bedwetter will never or hardly ever receive a reward if the reward is for dry beds at night.
When your child is aiming for that reward, they may try anything to get the elusive carrot. This may result in hiding dirty/wet underwear, this has been reported as having pyjamas stuffed at the back on drawers, behind the wardrobe, under the bed. Imagine trying to follow your nose with the foul odour in the coming weeks or months later?
Children will also throw to the rubbish perfectly good clothing to avoid a wet night being detected. Suddenly the purchase of new underwear, new pyjamas, new sheets is required. A very common scenario for these children is to remake the bed over urine saturated sheets and pretend that the wet bed never happened.
This very thing happened in my home when a little girl stayed in our guest bedroom. Imagine if I hadn’t discovered it and the next guest had to stay in that bed? A child who wets the bed every night will feel defeated, deflated and quickly identify themselves as a failure and likely to show signs of not beginning to care about wetting the bed or the reward chart.
The irony was not lost on me that this little girl had wet her bed in my home and tried to hide it. She and her mother simply did not know that a simple, sustainable solution existed. When people don’t talk about a problem it goes untreated. I remember that morning hanging out the sheets on a cold , rainy day and thinking of all the families doing the same without the knowledge of the solution. Over breakfast, I explained to Miss A the implications of hiding the problem, and also ensured her there was a solution. Miss A and her mum were on board that day and dry very soon after with assistance.
Rewards are best given for hygiene and truthfulness. This will go along way for the future relationship between carer and child. Being able to say, “My sheets are wet. I have put them in the laundry and I need a shower,” or “My pyjamas are only a little bit wet. They’re in the wash basket” are incidents deserving of rewards. The type of rewards will always be dependant on your child and your family’s uniqueness.
Is your child 7 years or over and still wetting the bed at night or in night nappies? Are you all tired of trying unattainable, unsustainable solutions? Would you like to join the thousands of happy dry families?
Via a safe, sustainable effective solution Nightollie’s bedwetting program will support you and your child when you are both ready to get be rid of bedwetting forever.
What frustrates you most about your child/teenager wetting the bed at night?
What’s the worst advice you have been given to solve bedwetting for your children?
