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The Effects of Divorce on Children
A Potential Cause for Bedwetting
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Dr. Sheldon says an important factor in helping your child cope with a separation and avoid bedwetting episodes is to not only tell your child that life after the breakup will work out fine, but to also show them.
"Your task as a parent is to understand your child's feelings regarding the issues at hand," says Dr. Sheldon. "You need to let him or her know that even if they wet the bed, you understand and you are not angry with him or her. The easiest ways to do this is to provide a loving home and to cooperate with your spouse, or ex-spouse, in parenting issues. Children need to be reminded that they are not the cause of the breakup."
Jennifer, a mom in Galveston, Texas, knew that when she separated from her husband, her children would take it very hard. "When our middle son began wetting the bed at night, I discovered he took it harder then I thought," she says. "I did all I could to reassure him that he was not the reason his father and I separated. His father and I worked together and made sure whenever there was an issue that needed attention, we approached it together. After some time, our son learned that just because his father and I don't live in the same house, doesn't mean we don't still love him."