Bedwetting: SOS-free Summer Camp

It's important to talk to your child about summer camp and bedwetting. Consider doing a "dry" run when you're preparing to send you child to summer camp. Being prepared not only reduces everyone's worries - it can also help your child feel more confident about the nights ahead. The camp action plan begins at home.

First, your child should be advised to choose a bottom bunk - this helps when they need to make a quick dash to the bathroom at night. Pack extra pyjamas and underpants, and make sure fresh ones and a flashlight are always within arm's reach of the bed. Ziploc plastic bags are handy to discreetly store wet underclothes. When you first arrive at the camp, walk with your child from the cabin to the bathrooms to help them memorize the path and ease any nighttime fears about encountering spiders or animals on the way. Special super-absorbent sleeping bags and liners help keep the bed dry and any unforeseen accidents private.

Another part of the action plan includes informing the camp about the treatment plan your children may be on for bedwetting. Doctors often consider convenience when recommending bedwetting treatment. For example, bedwetting alarms may not be the most convenient method of preventing bedwetting during camp, since this would mean other campers will become aware of your child's situation from the noise of the alarm going off.

Medication for bedwetting can be kept with the camp nurse, who will administer it on a daily basis. Your child should also learn how to properly take the bedwetting medication, including any special instructions on how to use it.

Make sure the action plan includes who to tell and what to do if an accident does happen. Your child should know that camp counsellors are people they can turn to if an accident occurs. Camp staff encourage children to tell them when they've had an accident. It's important for your child to realize that bedwetting is so common that 6% to 8% of 8-year-old children deal with it. So they're not alone at camp. The odds are that at least one other child at their camp is probably feeling the very same fears

By being prepared and rehearsing your action plan, both you and your child can actually look forward to a camp experience full of nothing but lasting friendships and wonderful memories of the great outdoors.