Teens and Bed-Wetting - Dealing With Diapers and Plastic Pants

Being a teenager can be a stressful time in life. There's the pressure of fitting in, preparing to get into college, going to prom, learning to drive. Now imagine if you also had to tell someone of the opposite sex that you have to wear diapers and plastic pants because you still wet the bed?

Teenagers can be very cruel when it comes to people being different. I think it's important for teenagers to be able to talk to other people with similar problems. There are many online support groups for various health problems and teenagers suffering from bed-wetting should take advantage of the many online health resources.

You can also start an online support group if you want. Many older children, adolescents, teenagers, and adults deal with bed-wetting every night so there are a lot of people who would be interested if you do decide to start a bed-wetting support group. On a related note, if you don't personally feel like starting an online support group for teenagers suffering from bed-wetting you can do a Google search for incontinence support groups and forums. Bed-wetting is a very common problem so it shouldn't be difficult finding a person you can talk to about this issue. There are also organizations that specialize in disseminating information about incontinence. Two of the major organizations that deal with incontinence are the Simon Foundation for Continence and the National Association for Continence. These organizations should be able to provide you with information about support groups for incontinence.

I think it would help if teenage celebrities(as well as adult celebrities) started talking about subjects such as bed-wetting-it would make it less taboo.

Right now I'd like to talk about one teen's experience with wearing cloth diapers and plastic pants. This person felt extremely self-conscious about wearing the garments. There are several aspects that made him feel babyish-the bulk of the diapers between the legs, the safety pins, and the crinkling sounds of the plastic pants. I thought I'd talk a little bit about because it's possible that many teenagers have similar feelings regarding wearing diapers and plastic pants for bed-wetting. I believe in this particular case it's possible to see the glass as half full. For example instead of viewing these attributes in a negative manner one can see them in a positive way. Instead of viewing the bulk of the diapers as a bad thing a person could see them in a positive way-thicker diapers are more absorbent and therefore they provide better protection.

This in turn will make the wearer feel more comfortable and secure. As far as the plastic pants are concerned it should be stressed to the teen that some plastic pants and disposable diapers make a rustling sound. Although many people are self conscious about this crackling sound the teenager should be reassured that since the product is only worn at night this shouldn't be a concern. However if the child or teen is sharing a bedroom with another sibling they might have some misgivings about this. If they do share a room with another sibling the parents need to tell the sibling in no uncertain terms that if they make fun of the bed-wetting or diapers and plastic pants they'll be punished. Finally, as far as the pins are concerned,these should be viewed no differently than other methods of fastening clothing such as buttons, zippers,or snaps. I hope this helps other teenagers who might be feeling embarrassed about wearing the diapers and plastic pants at night.

I also think it's important to be able to confide in people about this problem-whether a family member or relative, a teacher, or friend. Sometimes talking to people helps a great deal. It's important to be able to gauge the depth and quality of a person's friendship. There are some people who are real compassionate and understanding. These people are very accepting of other people's problems and they're easy to confide in. If you feel you have friends of this nature and if you're having difficulty coming to terms with wearing diapers to bed then you might want to consider discussing this with them. It's important to remember one thing-there are plenty of people of all ages who wet the bed so the next time you're getting ready for bed and putting on your diapers and plastic pants keep this in mind!

I am a psychology major who writes about the stigma surrounding using diapers to manage bedwetting with older children,adolescents,and teenagers. The purpose for writing these articles are to alleviate the stigma of older children and teenagers wearing diapers for bedwetting, to make parents aware of the different types of cloth diapers,plastic pants,and disposable diapers available to manage the bedwetting, and to offer strategies a parent can use to motivate and encourage an older child,adolescent, or teenager who feels embarrassed and ashamed about wearing diapers for bedwetting. In addition I write about other topics in this area.

Should Parents Involve Older Siblings in Taking Care of the Bedwetter's Diapers and Plastic Pants?

Many parents have their older children be responsible for helping their younger siblings in various aspects of their lives and they might want to involve their older children in taking care of the bed-wetter's wet garments. This is a delicate issue because it has the potential to embarrass the bed wetter. Each situation is different. As mentioned previously if a parent uses diapers and plastic pants to deal with the youngster's bed-wetting it's inevitable that the other children of the house are going to discover this. They're going to notice plastic pants hanging to dry on the clothesline, see their mother washing wet diapers and plastic pants, and folding up the diapers and pants after they're laundered. With that in mind it might be a good idea to talk to the older child and ask them if they would be comfortable helping out with these chores.

I think it's good for the older child because it helps them be more supportive about these kinds of problems. Hopefully it will also make them more sympathetic about bed-wetting and the use of diapers to manage it. They in turn can carry these attitudes with them in later years. For example if they decide to have children themselves and if their children wet the bed, their experience helping their younger sibling deal with it will help them handle their own child's bed-wetting in a gracious, gentle manner. That being said if the parents feel that the older child won't have the maturity to deal with the situation in a tactful way or if the bed wetter will feel embarrassed about their siblings taking care of the diapers and plastic pants then the parents should not let them help with this particular chore.

The first step is to talk to the youngster and tell them that you're considering involving their brother or sister in taking care of the diapers and plastic pants. How they feel about this is depends to a large extent on how close they are to their siblings. Another thing that needs to be considered is the following. Girls might be more receptive to doing this type of chore due to the fact that they tend to be more mature than boys and because of their innate maternal instinct. If you have a son that wets the bed and he has both boy and girl siblings he might feel more comfortable with his sister or sisters handling this. On the other hand it could go the other way. The same thing applies if you have a girl bed-wetter. Girls tend to be sensitive regarding this and there's always the possibility that they could feel self-conscious about a boy taking care of their laundry (whether regular laundry or diapers and plastic pants). In a situation such as this the parent has to ask them who they would prefer to deal with this. Once this is known, the parents can then make a decision based on what they know about the character and maturity level of the sibling or siblings in addition to how responsible they are. At this point the parents can talk to the sibling or siblings and tell them what their particular task will be-one sister will be responsible for washing the diapers and plastic pants, one will be responsible for folding them up and putting them in the laundry basket, etc. A second option would be to have the siblings alternate-one weekend one sister will take care of the wet garments, the next weekend the other sister will, etc. As parents know there are many different ways to assign responsibilities and this situation is no exception. If the bed-wetter has only one sibling this obviously changes the equation somewhat but the same reasoning applies-the parent has to get the bed-wetter's opinion about this and then make a judgment call about whether to involve them.

Bed-Wetting can be very stressful for a child particularly if the bed-wetter has siblings. As we all know brothers and sisters can be very cruel particularly where this is concerned. Whatever decision you make in this matter the most important thing to impress upon them is this-any teasing about the bed-wetting and diapers and plastic pants will not be tolerated. It's important for the bed-wetter to have a nurturing and supportive environment. This more than anything else will help them through this difficult time.

Colin Ellison

Diaper Dilemma-Cloth or Plastic?

My oldest son is 26, but I remember how excited I was when I discovered the joy of disposable diapers. Well, at first, I was tickled, and then I noticed that by baby boy's bottom was breaking out in an angry rash.

I tried putting him back into the cumbersome cloth diapers for about a week, and the rash healed. How annoying that my little bundle of joy seemed to be allergic to plastic diapers!

But that was over two decades ago and diapers have come a long way. Now, they have all kinds of fancy things built right into the diaper to prevent diaper rash! There are pre-folded diapers, form-fitting, and even chlorine-free diapers,

Most people prefer to use disposables, but there are a growing number of earth-conscious people that are reconsidering using cloth due to the knowledge of how long it takes for plastic to decompose.

So which is the better option-cloth or plastic?

Cloth diapers are environmentally-safe, but they still have to be put into a special box or bag to avoid smelling as well. If you can afford it, you should consider a diaper cleaning service. If money's tight, you will need to wash, dry, and fold them yourself. Plus, you will need to buy plastic pants to go over the diapers to keep from getting you and your home soaked.

Disposable diapers are not for those environmental-conscious folks, but they remain the most popular choice because parents can just toss them into the trashcan, right? Well, not exactly. They need to be put into a special box or bag to avoid odor problems, as well as to prevent little Mikey grabbing the dirty diaper and stuffing it into his mouth! Don't laugh. It happens.

Consider your conscience, your income level, and your cleaning routines. If you don't have a washing machine or diaper service handy, then lugging all of those heavy wet diapers to the local laundry mat may not appeal to you.
On the other hand, if you can afford a diaper service or don't mind washing diapers on a daily basis, then they may be just the thing for you and your baby.

If you like the idea of being able to throw away the whole mess, then just grab a used shopping bag, stuff it, and tie it with a secure knot before shooting a 3-pointer.

So, the bad news is that I can't answer that question. You have to.

Want more information about diapers and other baby products? Kristi Sayles-Child Development Coach- invites you to her site at http://YourChildandYou.com