It’s a wee problem – but he had to keep in mind he’s not alone

When faced with a problem, it’s easy to forget you’re not the only person in the world to have done so.

From the biggest challenges in life to the smallest worries, countless others have been in your position.

This can be difficult to keep in mind when you’re an adult, and almost impossible when you’re a child.

Last week I was trying to explain to a seven-year-old boy that he wasn’t alone in suffering from an embarrassing problem.

He was nervous about wetting the bed.

His mum had brought him in because she was a bit worried he was somehow falling behind in his development.

But bed wetting is really quite common – one in five children experience this at the age of five, and one in 10 at the age of 10. It’s more common in boys, too.

I ruled out a few other causes, like a urine infection and diabetes, although these were less likely as the boy was generally well and always dry during the day.

It’s important to point out to mums and dads that it’s not the child’s fault, and that making a big deal about it is a mistake.

What happens is the sensation of having a full bladder isn’t strong enough to wake the child.

It can be made worse or more likely due to certain things, such as stress, constipation, or obesity. It can also run in families.

Some of these can be tackled by mum and dad. For instance, a child may be stressed about starting a new school and this might need a few words of reassurance.

Avoiding things like Coca-cola before bed is a good idea, too.

Watching fluid intake in general is worth doing, but only in the couple of hours before bed – don’t limit drinks throughout the day.

If there is an accident then it’s often a good idea to get the child to help change the sheets. It seems to foster a sense of solving the problem.

Generally being patient and reassuring is the best way to go. There are wetness alarms too which encourage children to get up quickly. A medicine called desmopressin can help for sleepovers and holidays.

I explained to my patient that almost certainly two or three of his classmates would be having the same problem.

Keeping in mind that you’re not alone always seems to help.