Children (including teenagers) don't have the life experience and wisdom that gives them the ability to appropriately judge whether or not something is in their best interest. That's why they have parents to guide them and when necessary to command them.
For example children don't like eating their vegetables, taking baths, brushing their teeth, doing their homework, wearing braces and a retainer, etc. but a parent makes them because ultimately it's for the child's good. I think that the same reasoning can be applied in a situation such as this. It's not good for a child's health(not to mention self-esteem) to lie all night in wet clothes and bedding.
Although children, teenagers, and adults might not like wearing diapers and plastic pants to bed, if all other treatment options have proved unsuccessful and if other forms of protection have proven ineffective, then they might have to bite the bullet and wear them.
I don't mean that to sound cruel-believe me I have great compassion and empathy for these people and have the utmost sympathy for their plight. With the way people have been conditioned to believe that only babies wear diapers and plastic pants I can completely understand their reluctance. I'm speaking from years of dealing with bedwetting throughout all of my childhood and my adult life so I think that makes me somewhat qualified to make some of these assertions.
Again I want to emphasize that I'm not saying this to be cold or insensitive. I'm saying this as someone who has lots of experience dealing with this and with that experience I believe I've come up with very effective ways of dealing with the problem.
I also want to stress that a parent should not be dictatorial or an ogre about getting their children or teens to wear diapers and plastic pants to bed-just gentle but firm.I can't emphasize that enough.Everybody has a different style of parenting.For example some parents are from the "my way or the highway" school of parenting.While I think that style of parenting is necessary under certain circumstances,in certain situations,and with certain kids I believe that is definitely not the case in a situation like this.
I am a psychology major and out of all the things I've learned one of the most important is this- it's good to be flexible and have a wide variety of approaches in dealing with people.Different situations call for different approaches-what might work and is appropriate in one situation might completely backfire in another.
There's an old saying "if all you have is a hammer,every problem looks like a nail." Imagine how a child or teenager will feel if you say the following:"You're wearing diapers and plastic pants to bed and that's final!" versus this "We just want you to know that we sympathize with how you feel-we are not doing this to punish you or to degrade you.We just want you to be comfortable.Just think how good it will feel to wake up nice and dry!"
One of the most important things a parent has to do is to put yourself in the child or teenager's place.He or she already feels ashamed about wetting the bed.By putting him or her back in diapers they feel that they are regressing and that you are mad with them about the wetting and therefore trying to punish them.By taking a gentle approach you help them realize that you understand how they feel.Plus by approaching them in a gentle way you are more likely to be able to convince them of the merits of wearing the diapers to bed.
The ultimate goal is to get them to realize that the advantages of wearing the diapers to bed far outweigh the disadvantages and the best way to accomplish this is to be gentle and empathetic.I think that part of the problem is that many people think that the qualities of being gentle and firm are mutually exclusive-that you can be either one or the other but not both at the same time.Nothing can be further from the truth.
There are many tactful and delicate methods that parents can use to motivate their older child or teenager to wear diapers and plastic pants at night.With the right approach you should not have too much trouble convincing your child or teenager to wear diapers to bed.In addition there are many examples of self-talk(as the psychologists say) that people can use to make themselves feel better about wearing diapers to bed.
I discuss some of these tactics in more detail in my posts-"How to Discuss Enuresis or Bedwetting with a Child", "How to Encourage Older Children and Teenagers to Wear Diapers and Plastic Pants to Bed" ,"How to Deal With the Stigma of Using Diapers to Manage Bedwetting", "Bedwetting,Diapers,and Dignity","Bedwetting,Diapers,and Parental Attitudes", "Diapers,Bedwetting,and Shame", "Using Diapers to Manage Nocturnal Enuresis",and "You're Never Too Old to Wear Diapers to Bed!"
All of these posts offer suggestions and advice on how to deal with an older child or teenager who is reluctant to wear diapers and plastic pants to bed and how to cope mentallywith the thought of wearing diapers to bed.In addition the post "Advice About Types and Brands of Diapers to Wear for Bedwetting" offers advice on what types and brands of diapers and plastic pants to use for nighttime protection.Both that post and "How to Encourage Older Children and Teenagers to Wear Diapers and Plastic Pants to Bed" are meant to be read together.
As I said a parent has to be gentle but firm with the child or teenager.For instance parents can say something along these lines-"We realize you are not too keen on the idea of wearing diapers and plastic pants to bed but just remember that you only have to wear them at night-no one else knows that you have them on.If you broke your arm or leg you would have to wear a cast.No one likes wearing a cast but they have to in order for their bone to heal.A diaper is like a cast for a broken bladder.You might not like wearing one bu
