Older kids who have been potty-trained are still likely to experience bedwetting issues. Known in medical circles as nighttime enuresis, bedwetting is a relatively normal issue among most children with many teenagers still susceptible to it. But parents should keep a cool head, so to speak, about bedwetting as being too hard on their children about the issue may worsen it, not to mention adversely affect their children’s psychological well-being.
Dealing with Bedwetting Issues
Keep in mind always that bedwetting is a temporary phase for kids despite the physical and mental issues that it brings. Your kid will likely be embarrassed about his bedwetting episodes while you, the parents, can become frustrated by it. You may even come to a point when scolding your kids in harsher terms becomes more frequent.
But we suggest that you take all the necessary precautions to keep a cool head even when the situation becomes too much for your cleaning abilities. Here are a few things that you should always remember when you’re on the verge of shouting at your bedwetting child.
- Bedwetting isn’t a conscious decision in children so there’s no reason to berate them for it. Bedwetting happens during deep sleep, a time when the brain doesn’t normally respond to stimulus, such as it’s time to hit the toilet. There will also be relapses even when the issue appears to have been resolved but don’t sweat it because, again, bedwetting is typically temporary.
- Avoid becoming angry at your child because it will be unproductive, as well as give your child more stress resulting in more likelihood of bedwetting. Take deep breaths until you calm down before facing your child and speak in gentle tones while telling him to take a bath while you change his sheets.
- Adopt sensible rules that can affect his bedwetting frequency. Check that your child uses the toilet on a regular basis throughout the day so he is better able to respond to stimulus about toilet use. Encourage your child to use the toilet as soon as he feels the urge to pee, even during lunch time and nap time. Limit the amount of drinks that your child can consumer after dinner so that fluid doesn’t build up in his bladder. Let him use the toilet in peeing before bedtime.
But don’t stop with these steps. You should also take the necessary precautions in protecting your child’s King Koil mattress from his bedwetting issues. You can cover it with a waterproof mattress protector and buy several linens for his bed so that you will always have spare ones ready when replacement of the soiled linens is a must.
Cleaning the Mattress
Here comes the not-so-fun part – cleaning the mattress after a bedwetting episode. While you may want to wait for any reason, you should clean it ASAP because the sooner you take action, the easier it will be to remove the stain and its odor. You’re doing yourself a favor, too, since “new urine” is definitely easier to remove than “old urine”.
- Remove the bedding and sheets from the mattress. Wash them normally in the washing machine although you can also add vinegar to the water-soap mix to remove the smell. Wash the stained spots, if necessary, under hot water with a few drops of laundry detergent before washing in the machine.
- Gather your mattress cleaning supplies – vinegar, baking soda, laundry detergent, a clean cloth or rag, and a spray bottle. You will also need a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment or a portable vacuum cleaner for ease of use, as well as a blow dryer or fan for drying the mattress. If you can do it, then you may also want to air dry the mattress under direct sunlight.
- Use a clean cloth in blotting the stain from the mattress. You should avoid pressing too much into the mattress to avoid pushing the urine into its deeper layers. You must also avoid rubbing and scrubbing the affected area for this reason. Just soak up with the cloth as much of the urine as possible.
- Mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts cold water, as well as a teaspoon of laundry detergent in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture into the affected area so that it becomes wet with it although be careful about making it bigger than it already is. Let it be for 10-15 minutes, which will allow the vinegar mixture to break down the uric acid in urine. Doing so will not only make it easier to blot out the excess urine but also to remove the bad smell.
- Blot the affected area with another clean cloth so that as much of the moisture can be absorbed.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the affected area, let it sit for another 15 minutes, and bad away the white powder with a cold wet cloth. Use a vacuum cleaner with its hose attachment to remove the excess baking soda
- Use a blow dryer or fan to dry out the mattress.
And voila! Your child’s mattress can be used again.
Conclusion
The best ways to deal with bedwetting issues are to do so with tender, loving care as well as with patience, compassion and understanding. When your child has moved past it, you can buy a new mattress to give his old one a rest.