Bed-wetting, 1933 - Ursula Wise shares ‘gran's’ advice for those children who wet the bed at night.

March 15, 1933 in Nursery World

Bed-wetting advice from Gran

“Torch” writes: “Has it ever occurred to you that older children who wet their beds may be afraid to get up into a dark room though showing no other signs of fear? At Christmas the children’s ‘Gran’ came to stay. I told her how disappointed I was that Veronica, nearly three, wet her bed most nights. I showed her all the preparations I had made which you suggested – change from a high cot to a low bed, ‘pot’ put near, etc. – all of no use. Gran said at once, ‘the poor little thing is afraid to get out of bed into a dark room.” I pooh-poohed the idea as V. has always slept alone without a qualm. However, Gran bought a little electric torch, and as she tucked her up at night she showed her how to press the button, and told her a fascinating story all about sailors, searchlights, etc., finishing up by telling V. she was a sailor in a boat, and when she required her pot she must shine her searchlight to help to find it. We have not had one wet bed since. The child seems to find her torch a great comfort to her. When I go to pick her up at ten she always has it clasped in her hand, or if she hasn’t will not settle down till she has found it. Gran thinks there would be far less night terrors if each child past the baby stage had either a light he could put on from his bed or torch. She thinks this much more soothing to a nervous child than a night-light, which causes rather weird shadows. Gran has never read a book or an article on child welfare, but she somehow seems to understand them in a wonderful instinctive way. Perhaps this little hint may be a help to some other harassed mother.

            I am sure readers will find this a very interesting suggestion and one that might be tried often in cases of children who were afraid to get out and help themselves. It is another striking example of the fact that if we can only find ways of helping children to be independent so many of their difficulties disappear. I have not any doubt that there are a great many grannies and mothers who have never read books on child welfare, who have a native gift of understanding problems from the child’s point of view. And, of course, if one has not that to some extent, no amount of reading of other people’s opinions will be of much use to one. I often feel that the whole point of studying child welfare and reading child psychology is really to enable one’s own mind to work freely over the child’s situation rather than to view it in a fixed way through one’s own worries or prejudices.