Bedwetting at summer camp can be a scary thing. But with some simple tips, your child can have a great time at Boy Scout or summer camp even if they wet the bed.
Bedwetting doesn’t have to keep your child from attending a sleepover summer camp. Your child can keep their bedwetting in check and not be worried about having an accident with their friends around.
Many Kids Live Through Bed-wetting At Camp
Although it may seem like it sometimes, your child is not the only one who deals with bedwetting at summer camp. Nurses, counselors and staff members have had probably hundreds of kids attend camp over the years that have also wet the bed and suffered from bed-wetting or enuresis. It is a good idea to be up-front and honest with the staff at the camp about the bed-wetting problem, so they can be aware of the situation and can help your child handle it discretely. Assure your child they are definitely not alone.
Before Going To Camp
Before going to camp, most children have to have some kind of physical. At the very least, a medical form is filled out to give to the staff at camp. These forms are pretty thorough, and there is usually a checkbox on the form that asks about bedwetting. Camp staff treat these forms as confidential. If your child wets the bed at home, they will probably also wet at camp. Make sure the box is checked and clearly marked on the medical form.
Bedwetting alarms are obviously not going to work for bedwetting at summer camp, but other products you use at home will work just as well at camp as they do at home.
Leaders and counselors are aware the best way to prevent bedwetting at camp is to make sure each child uses the restroom appropriately. This includes making sure and reminding campers to use the bathroom before they go to bed. There is usually just a group reminder that “lights out” will be in a few minutes and everybody needs to make sure they go. Even kids who don’t wet the bed will make one last visit to the restroom before bed.
Another tip is to limit fluids after a certain time in the evening. There is some debate about whether or not limiting drinks (especially water) is a good idea. But, having a large drink of water before bedtime is definitely something to avoid.
Use Disposable Pants For Bedwetting At Summer Camp
Using disposable underpants like Goodnites or Underjams, or sleeping bag liners at camp can also make kids nervous. They may be afraid others will “find out” and be made fun of for wetting their sleeping bag. But, these products can be used privately with the help of the camp leader.
Disposable underpants can be placed put on and taken off while still in their sleeping bag. In the morning, they can be put in a plastic bag and disposed of either. This can either be done by the child or an adult. Use a trash can away from the camp site or cabin so it won’t accidentally be discovered. It is important, especially for kids who wet the bed at camp, to take a shower daily while at camp to keep themselves clean and odor-free.
A sleeping bag liner specifically designed for bed-wetting at camp has been designed by bedwettingstore.com. It resembles a normal sleeping bag and can be rolled up with so it is ready to use. The only problem is that it is not disposable. It should be used in addition to a disposable underpant and for additional protection.
Medications and General Tips
Some parents start the use of the drug DDAVP to help control bedwetting for camp or sleepovers. The use of medications should be controlled by the camp’s nurse and staff. The pros and cons of using DDAVP for bedwetting will be discussed in a different article. If your child is sleeping in a cabin, most bunkbeds in cabins either have a mattress completely encased in plastic or the camp has encases them in a heavy-gauge plastic. Mattresses are expensive. Camps don’t take chances, especially when bedwetting at camp is a common occurrence.
In conclusion, for kids dealing with bed-wetting at camp, use common-sense techniques for reducing the chance of wetting, along with a protective pant such as Goodnites. This will help your child enjoy everything a summer camp has to offer. Attending a summer camp is an experience children remember for the rest of their lives, whether they deal with bedwetting at summer camp or not.