Bed-wetting is a common occurrence in children, but it can be outgrown with age. As a child’s bodily systems mature, they become less likely to wet the bed at night. As a parent, what you can do best is to never get mad at your child for doing so. It’s not their fault. Instead, take the following precautions with patience and understanding:

Limit your child’s intake of fluids before bedtime.

Although you can’t completely stop your child from bed-wetting, you can reduce it. Increase your child’s fluid intake earlier in the day, and reduce it hours before bedtime. Aside from that, make sure to eliminate bladder irritants, such as chocolate, sweeteners, citrus juices, artificial flavorings, and caffeine, at night. These items can result in potential loss of bladder control and cause your child to have sudden urges to urinate at night.

Encourage bathroom trips before going to bed.

Condition your child by scheduling regular trips to the bathroom for urination. This way, your child can train and control his or her bladder better. Encourage your child to go to the bathroom as well as soon as he or she feels the urge to urinate. Make it a practice to have your child use the bathroom before bedtime as well. By inculcating these habits, you can help your child reduce his or her chances of bed-wetting during the night.

Be encouraging and celebrate your child’s progress.

Never resort to punishing your child when he or she wets the bed. It can be frustrating for your child, and punishments certainly won’t help. Instead of getting angry at your child for wetting the bed, help him or her by inculcating the above habits. More so, make your child feel good about his or her progress with rewards and affirmation. Remember, your child will eventually outgrow bed-wetting, but harsh words won’t heal easily.

To protect and care for your beddings and mattress after a bed-wetting incident, follow below tips:

Blot the wet area and sprinkle with baking soda.

Note that the sooner you clean the pee spot or stain, the easier it will be to get rid of it. In the case of a bed-wetting accident, blot the pee with a cloth until most of the liquid is soaked up. Make sure not to scrub or rub the wet area as it will only spread the pee. Spray with a water-vinegar-detergent mixture and let sit for 15 minutes. Then, sprinkle the area with baking soda until all the moisture and stain is lifted. Vacuum to remove residues.

Add vinegar when washing sheets and beddings.

As soon as a sheet or bedding gets wet, wash it immediately. Or, if you can’t wash it clean especially in the middle of the night, give it a quick rinse at least, and throw it into the tub or let it soak in a basin until you’re ready to wash it the next morning. Doing so will prevent your child’s pee from getting absorbed in the sheets and beddings. When it’s washing time, wash the sheets and beddings normally. But, add vinegar to get rid of the strong urine smell and stain. Make sure to only use child-friendly fabric detergent too.

Use sheet underpads with a waterproof backing.

To lighten your clean-up efforts, make sure your child’s bed has a waterproof mattress protector or waterproof sheet underpads. These mattress protectors can make nighttime bed changes a whole lot easier because you won’t be needing to remake your child’s whole bed. These items will be the ones to absorb your child’s pee instead of your mattress. More so, if these items get wet, you can simply wipe or wash them clean.

Protect your mattress and your child’s confidence during the bed-wetting phase. Follow the above tips!