Bedwetting isn't just stressful on a child who wets the bed - it can be stressful on the family as a whole!

As a parent, your routine is probably exhausting enough without having to get up during the night to change your child's sheets, get them into clean pyjamas, and calm them down after an accident. Not to mention all the extra laundry from having to wash the wet sheets. But having a child who wets the bed can cut down on your own sleep, making everything more frustration - from dealing with the bedwetting problem, to getting your other kids ready for school, to handling your own responsibilities at home and at work.

Bedwetting can also make family events - things like vacations or overnight visits to the grandparents - difficult to plan because you likely don't want to inflict the mess and odour on someone else.

Though bedwetting may be a frustrating problem for you as a parent, it's important not to let your child know how frustrated you are. If your child wets the bed, they are likely stressed out enough about the problem, without the added pressure of feeling like they are disappointing you or making you angry. Punishing them for wetting the bed doesn't help anyone, especially given the fact that bedwetting is something your child can't control.

There's no doubt bedwetting is frustrating for you - and this frustration can play out in a number of ways. But there are ways you can cope, including using a plastic cover to protect your child's mattress and keeping clean pyjamas and sheets nearby to cut down on cleanup time. You and your partner may also want to take turns cleaning up, or, if your child is older, you may want to enlist them in some of the effort.

Because there are a number of ways to treat bedwetting, you should also talk to your child's doctor. Bedwetting may be beyond your child's control, but that doesn't mean this medical condition can't be controlled.