Reply from Jeffrey, Child's Age 14 and 16 - 10/25/02 - IP#: 131.96.240.46

Message to four people: Steven, I'm so glad to hear that you are making progress toward the day when you are able to put your sleepwetting behind you, and I know many others are also happy to hear it too. During the time that you have contributed to this board, you have offered some of the most practical, sensible advice I've seen. Your wisdom in these matters is way beyond your years, and you've been a great resource for many parents who have recognized the value of what you have written. Best wishes to you as you finish high school and move on to college or whatever. . . . . . Joan, you have identified a very common-sense solution for parents who are convinced (as we are) that cloth diapers provide the best protection, but who also respect the need of their teenagers to have a measure of privacy. By letting them diaper themselves, and limit the parent's involvement to re-fastening the pins to make the diaper tighter, you can accomplish both the protection and the privacy objectives. We have had trouble with velcro, because it has come loose when tossing and turning at night, so we still use pins. But I agree with Steven that if you can get the velcro closures to work properly, there are advantages to using cloth diapers that don't need to be pinned. . . . . . . Maggie, when your son is going some place away from home where there will be other children that he knows, there are several options which will protect him if he has an accident, but which would not be noticeable to others. The protection wouldn't need to be as much as his thicker night diaper. . . . . . . Wendy, you have received several comments in response to your question. The fact is that there is no correct solution that works in every situation. Since your son doesn't have any problem with daytime accidents, you have one less problem to worry about than several of the rest of us. However, you have a different problem: you have suggested diapers to help your 13-year-old manage his bedwetting, but since it has been many years since he has worn them, his reluctance to consider wearing diapers is quite predictable. If he could become convinced in his own mind that diapers would help him, by making it possible for him to experience the joy of being able to wake up in a clean dry bed every day, then he will be ready to accept your suggestion. Several parents of bedwetters have reported that their children were able to overcome their initial resistance to wearing diapers after trying them. They discovering for themselves the sense of satistaction that comes with being able to take control of managing their disability so their beds stay dry. So the trick is to be able to convince your son to give it a try. If he does, he will probably be glad he did. But if he is unwilling to even consider trying diapers, he shouldn't be subjected to strong pressure to do so. I hope these suggestions are helpful.