DS (7) started bed wetting

[FusionChefGeoff]

I thought DS was coping really well but apparently not

He's had 3 nights in the past week where he's wet the bed. Poor soul is embarrassed so we've had to reassure him that it's ok and he can't help it but he does need to tell us so we can sort the sheets etc.

I'm naturally a very positive and enthusiastic person and have been enjoying home school with him and his sister (5). I had a lovely, subtle, heart to heart with him at the end of the first week to check in on how he felt etc and he said everything was really great.

Any words of advice? I'm presuming it's the change in routine etc but could it be something else??

I don't want to worry you, but couldn't read your post in good conscience and not mention it - bedwetting in kids who were previously dry can be a sign of sexual abuse.

Could be uti, worms or constipation? Drinking juice during the day rather than water.

DS is 8 and had about 6 months of it recently. It was just a phase that passed.

My dd9 is dry at night now but only for last 8 months or so. She is prone to both constipation and uti. Anytime she would wet her bed it was a sure sign of one of these.

Hope your ds is ok

Is he losing weight, tired, thirsty or had a change in appetite? It’s probably just the change in routine, but bed wetting can be a sign of type one diabetes.

You said you had a heart to heart with at the end of the first week. Keep doing them regularly. Things change daily, he might have seen a bit of the news on the telly or heard some on the radio and started worrying about his grandparents for example. Or it might be something totally unrelated that has stuck in his mind and worried him.

Thanks for a wide range of options! I'll try to keep an eye on constipation / other UTI symptoms.

We have been concerned about diabetes in the past due to tiredness and he's always very skinny no matter how much he eats. But did a home blood sugar test and it was fine.

Will also make sure I keep close emotionally in case there's anything he's consciously aware of bothering him.

Also good to hear stories of it being a phase.

I suppose I should have said, it did take a great effort and using a bet setting alarm to get him dry which we did about a year ago. I wonder if it's an idea to get the alarm back out again?? Or is that making a big deal of it and possibly adding more pressure?!

Do be extra vigilant about diabetes. My 7 year old wet the bed twice. She was also drinking a lot at night and using the toilet a lot. Unfortunately her diagnosis was diabetes.

Yes,I'd definitely keep an eye on things re diabetes.

Other than that I'd say maybe he's picking up on the tension & changes in familiar things, I expect a lot of kids are struggling, but also struggling to verbalise it.

You're doing the right thing, playing it down 'no big deal'. Lots of cuddles and reassurance & talking about when the virus goes away what you'd all like to do. They need to know this isn't forever

Bumping this as home blood sugar test arrived and he's well within normal levels so that rules out diabetes.

Does anyone reading think it's worth trying the bed wetting alarm (that we used about a year ago to get dry nights) again? Or is that making too much of this and I should just keep trying to reassure etc

He seems so happy!! It's so confusing - he's laughing and joking with everyone, singing, playing happily in the garden, plenty of relaxing time with TV / iPad for silly games... and yet there's obviously something bothering him at a deep level which makes me so sad . I've tried asking directly as well as general 'check ins' throughout the week and there's nothing he can verbalise.

Well the obvious answer would be that he’s worrying about corona virus. If you’re keeping his home life as happy as possible and talking to him regularly, then there’s not much else you can do other that reassure him. Even if you try to shield them from the worst of it, you never know what they’re still picking up, and worrying about it, even subconsciously

I think it's that bloody stay home advert!!! I'm trying to restrict 'live' TV watching so will ramp up the supervision to make sure they don't see it anymore.