Bedwetting - Help and Advice for Parents of Bed wetting Children - Don’t Nix the Family Vacation Just Because You’ve Got a Bedwetter

Don't Nix the Family Vacation Just Because You've Got a Bedwetter

Traveling isn't off-limits for families with bedwetting children. With a little advanced planning, and the help of some useful bedwetting products, your vacation can be a piece of cake.

If you’ve got a child who wets the bed most nights, you’ve probably gotten good at a few skills you never imagined perfecting. You’re an expert laundry manager, mattress protector, and sleepy-kid-who-needs-to-pee-once-more escort… at home, anyway. The thought of taking this show on the road might be overwhelming, though. Your family could really miss out on some excellent memory-making time together if you let a little enuresis keep you homebound. With a little advanced preparation, your family can hit the highway without worrying about leaving a flood in your wake. Here are some handy tips for coping with a bedwetting problem away from home.

Plan ahead! If you’re staying at a hotel, reserve a roll-away bed for your room. Many hotels provide a roll-away for free – some charge a nominal fee. You won’t have to worry about ruining a full-sized or (gasp!) king-sized mattress. You’ll also enjoy a more peaceful vacation, because the kids won’t spend the whole time fighting about who’s got to share a bed with the one who wets. Of course, they’ll find tons of other things to fight about… but at least not this issue.

Stop at Target or WalMart or shop online to pick up a plastic mattress cover before you turn in for the first night. Roll-away beds are generally a standard sized twin bed, but even if they’re a little smaller, a twin mattress cover will do the trick. They usually cost less than $5, but are priceless in terms of peace of mind. Now even if your child has a nighttime accident, at least the hotel’s mattress won’t be ruined. At the end of your trip, just remove the mattress cover and chuck it – an advantage well worth your $5. If you’re staying with relatives, or somewhere that a roll-away isn’t an option, it’s still a good idea to pick up a plastic mattress cover.

If your child will be sleeping in a sleeping bag, you may have some luck with a waterproof sleeping bag liner. Amazon’s got a set of four for less than $20 that are made of mylar (like the balloon). Slip one into a sleeping bag, and even if your child has an accident, the sleeping bag and everything around it will stay dry. Just wash the liner and lay it out to dry the next morning.

Protective underwear (GoodNites, Pull-Ups, or diapers) are a must as the first layer of defense. If your child feels self-conscious about wearing protective underwear away from home, there’s a really easy way to do it without embarrassment. It’ll work for boys or girls – just wear boxer shorts on top. If it’s cold, throw on some sweatpants, and the pull-ups will be virtually undetectable.

Even if you don’t usually do this at home, during a trip away from home, be sure to have your child visit the bathroom several times before bedtime. They may fight and fuss, but it’s a sure bet you’ll hear tinkling and flushing – in spite of all the protests of, “I just went!”

Granted, traveling still won’t be a piece of cake (although as a parent, I’m guessing if we weren’t dealing with enuresis, there’d be some other sort of challenge anyway). But when you weigh the potential for building great family memories and re-connecting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, against the relative ease of just staying home until your child outgrows this bedwetting phase, there’s no comparison. Take the plunge… and happy trails to you!