How can parents support and motivate children during the treatment process?
- DO praise your child for participating in the treatment – wearing the alarm properly, cleaning the soiled sensor after a wetting incident, etc.
- DO give encouragement: Praise your child when they wake to the alarm and for waking faster and faster (having smaller wet spots). Encourage your child to try to ‘beat the buzzer’ – waking up when the bladder is full, but before they have begun to urinate in bed. Praise them when they have a dry night.
- DO help the child stay motivated: Help your child stay motivated by recording their progress on the included progress diary i.e. by coloring the appropriate characters and stars.
Do we have to use the reward system?
A motivation system is an important part of bedwetting treatment because it encourages and motivates children throughout the treatment process. The reward components of the Chummie bedwetting treatment alarm system were designed with the help of a child psychologist specifically for bedwetting treatment. Included with your Chummie alarm you will find a progress diary and an achievement certificate. When you use these reward components, the child will feel supported and will be excited by the progress they see themselves making.
Should I offer my child other rewards also?
It is not necessary. If you wish to offer additional rewards, remember that your child cannot control what happens while they are asleep. They do not wet the bed on purpose. Instead, reward their cooperation with wearing the Chummie bedwetting alarm and getting out of bed quickly when the alarm goes off.
Any additional rewards should be modest. Significant awards could interfere with the child’s sleep and treatment, because he/she tries not to sleep so they are sure not to wet and can ‘win’ the reward. This will not help your child overcome bedwetting, and will likely result in a very tired child the next day.
Should we punish our child if they wet the bed?
Absolutely not! Never criticize your child for bedwetting. A child cannot control their bedwetting, so punishment will not help.
In fact, punishing the child can be counterproductive; An anxious or fearful child will be less able to cooperate with treatment. Also, some children may not sleep well if they are afraid that they’ll wet the bed.
How else can we help our child feel better about themselves while they are learning to stop bedwetting?
There are lots of ways parents can help their child feel less stressed during the treatment process:
- Remind your child that bedwetting is nobody’s fault.
- Let children know that lots of kids have the same problem.
- Remind your child that Chummie is teaching them to wake when they need to go during the night, and soon he/she will be dry.
- Do not allow your child’s siblings to tease him/her about wetting the bed.
- Let your child know if anyone in the family wet the bed growing up.
- Maintain a low-key attitude after wetting episodes.
- Praise the child when they help clean up after a setting episode (washing the sensor, stripping the bed, putting sheets in the washer, etc.).