Remember, no child purposely wets the bed. And while it can be frustrating or upsetting for both of you, there are ways to make it easier on everyone. Here are several of them:

• Put a plastic sheet on your child's bed and keep extra sets of clean sheets and blankets close by. This makes clean-up in the middle of the night a lot easier on both of you, and you don't have to worry about ruining the mattress.



• Try to make a point of praising your child for dry nights.



• Be supportive. Tell your child you know it's not her fault and let her know that many children take longer to develop this kind of control.



• Don't expect too much too soon, or punish or shame your child for bedwetting. If you do so, things will only get worse.

If your child is becoming embarrassed about wetting the bed, or you think bedwetting is going on too long, consult your child's physician for more specific strategies.