Episode 37: How to Handle Bedwetting, Accidents, & Potty Learning with Dr. Steve Hodges

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I have been receiving a lot of questions from parents lately telling me that no matter what they do, they just can’t get their child to stop wetting their bed and/or having accidents, and the pandemic seems to only have made things worse. Have you been there too?

Well, I just got the answers for you... are you ready for what we are affectionately calling "The Poop Episode"?? (I swear, I haven't talked this much about poop since my kids were newborns and poop was an integral part of the daily conversation...)

According to Dr. Steve Hodges, who is an associate professor of pediatric urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, bedwetting is not caused by deep sleep, hormonal imbalance, or underdeveloped bladder. The underlying cause is constipation of all things!

And so, for this episode, I am so thrilled to have Dr. Hodges teach us the following:

  • The underlying cause of bedwetting or daytime accidents (and how to TREAT it!)

  • The relationship between constipation and daytime accidents/bedwetting

  • The right age to potty train and the consequences of starting early

As a parent, it is easy to get frustrated and worried about things that we can’t control. But we can never really control our children (that's not what we are about here, anyway, right??), especially when it comes to using the bathroom. What we need to do is determine what our child’s needs are and provide for them. And so, remember that bedwetting is never your child’s fault. It is a medical condition that your child doesn’t have absolute control over. Rewards or punishment should never be used in order for them to stop bedwetting (and if that's something you've tried, offer yourself grace and compassion; it's a frustrating thing, and after this episode you'll know how to handle it better. Be kind to yourself).

Members of my Balanced Parenting Community on Facebook had a chance to guide my conversation with Dr. Hodges and get their most pressing questions answered. If you want in on that, be sure to join us! Dr. Hodges also mentioned he'd be happy to do a live Q&A in the group in the New Year. We are in the process of getting that scheduled, so be sure to join so you don't miss it!

You can contact Dr. Steve Hodges for your bedwetting and potty training concerns through their website www.bedwettingandaccidents.com. There are so many resources for you to use. One of which is the M.O.P Anthology Books to learn the methods that actually work to stop bedwetting and how to potty train.

You can also check them out on Facebook.