Children are notoriously bad at drinking enough liquids. They are so busy playing they sometimes 'forget' to drink. Sometimes, children seem like camels - able to go for ages without having a drink. Obviously, when they are thirsty they will rush indoors for a drink. But often they look for sugary, caffeine-laden drinks which are great for quenching thirst, but do little for the body's fluid levels.
That's because the caffeine in many drinks leads to extra urination. The result is that more liquid goes out of the body than is taken in. And therein lies a problem. Your child's body has inbuilt mechanisms to maintain the liquid levels. A lack of liquid intake, combined with the effects of caffeine in fluid output, means your child's body requires more liquids to maintain the right balance. In other words, their body starts to demand more liquid.
That demand for extra liquids usually starts at the worst possible time - early evening. Your child is home from school or from a day playing with friends and they suddenly want a drink. They gulp down whatever you give them and demand more - and more. This is because their hydration levels are low and their body's self defense mechanisms have kicked in to ensure that they don't become dehydrated.
However, the body always takes in more than it actually needs - just to be on the safe side. So that excess has to go somewhere. It is taken out by the kidneys, converted into urine and placed in the bladder for urination. But this can take a few hours to occur. The result is that your child's bladder has often not completed filling until after they have gone to bed.
If they have a poorly developed sense of bladder fullness while asleep, they will simply wet the bed. Many children wet the bed not because they drink too much, but because they don't drink enough!
If a child drinks plenty of water during the day, they need less during the evening. Also, because their body has had time during the day to regulate it's water levels, there is less need for urinating at night. Hence if a child drinks more during the day, the likelihood of bed wetting is reduced. Preventing your child from drinking too much liquid is actually working against you; it makes bed wetting more likely.
The problem for many parents is encouraging children to drink enough water during the day. As ever, changing your child's habits starts with changing your own. Start drinking more water yourself - it won't do you any harm! Your child will see you doing this and will not see water drinking as unusual.
Also, make sure you provide your child with water whenever they go out. Put a bottle of water in their bag and encourage them to drink it. Equally, raise the issue with school, suggesting that children should be encouraged to drink more. You don't need to mention your child's bedwetting - indeed you shouldn't as it will embarrass your child. However, if you can get your child's school to encourage more daytime drinking of water you'll be helping the overall health of the whole school - as well as reducing bedwetting in your own child.
For more information on how to deal with bed wetting and end the misery for your child visit bed wetting info.
same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..As mothers, we play so many different roles and most... Read More
Life is full of competition -- even in childhood. Kids... Read More
MYTH: If you have not parented as well as you... Read More
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe,... Read More
The last decade has seen heightened interest in and awareness... Read More
If your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then at... Read More
I am a dad. I have been now for over... Read More
The key to a successful car wash fundraiser event is... Read More
If you are a parent, then more than likely you... Read More
"Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing... Read More
Some people can concentrate on an assignment, to the exclusion... Read More
Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both... Read More
If you really want to get your children to eat... Read More
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
There's a phrase that's become popular over the past few... Read More
There are few thoughts as terrifying as the abduction of... Read More
The purpose of this article is to address some of... Read More
Do you live with an ADD / ADHD child? If... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
In stepfamilies, big holiday expectations can lead to big disappointment--and... Read More
Recently I took my two children to a popular new... Read More
Winnie the Pooh is the classic picture of Inattentive ADHD.... Read More
We all want to comfort our children after they suffer... Read More
Q. When you consult with a family with teens, what... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 31,... Read More
home cleaning services Mundelein ..Parents are in a unique position to "monitor" their children's... Read More
I was in the life insurance sales industry for over... Read More
'Whose room is it anyway?'If you have a teenager, you're... Read More
Do you praise your child when he fulfils a basic... Read More
Congratulations on your new baby! You have just brought your... Read More
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of... Read More
You are sitting with the professionals who know about learning... Read More
"I took care of Callie," my three-year-old announced.Callie had been... Read More
Criticism is punitiveOur children judge themselves on the opinions we... Read More
What exactly makes safety glasses different from regular glasses? There... Read More
Having a babysitter take care of your kids is sometimes... Read More
Kitchens are where everything happens. It's not just where meals... Read More
Many parental units are not "techies" and openly admit they... Read More
Parental example, whether for good or for bad, is undoubtedly... Read More
The school holidays are a great time for the kids,... Read More
Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part... Read More
1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a... Read More
Is there a fathering instinct?Celebrated child development expert Erik Erikson... Read More
Can you draw a straight line? Most adults don't consider... Read More
MYTH: All teens have to rebel, and the teen years... Read More
Many reasons will cause some people to feel the need... Read More
Question 1 "How do I get more time to play?"... Read More
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you... Read More
Although, not a well publicized statistic, childhood obesity has more... Read More
Parenting |