On Bedwetting (Enuresis)

Waking Up Dry - Book Review

"Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting", by Howard J. Bennett is one of the best all-around books available on bedwetting or enuresis in children. Dr. Bennett explains in-depth and in accessible terms the problems children and parents are facing and what techniques they can apply to help alleviate and end the problem.

The great thing about this book is that it is written for both children and parents to read. It is light-hearted and humorous and reads more like a conversation than a self-help book. The adventures of cartoon characters, Bladder Man and his side-kick Nephron, run throughout the book, making helpful suggestions in a humorous way.

The techniques described, because they are coming from the author directly to the child, often have more force and authority than if they were simply dictated by the parent. Children are more willing to do some of the uncomfortable things they must do to help themselves stop wetting-the-bed. My son actually enjoyed the activities, such as practicing getting up in the middle of the night. He was not as happy about limiting fluid intake, but he went along with it in order to stick with the program.

Since the book outlines effective techniques that include the use of a bedwetting alarm, it infuses confidence in both parent and child. With a bedwetting progress chart, it also provides a way to monitor progress. This is helpful in encouraging success, and also recognizing what does work and what does not.

My wife and I found the book very helpful. We were originally trying to get our son dry without going through the expense of an alarm. This book gave us plenty of techniques to try to do just that. Although they helped, the problem was not completely solved. The book then helped us to realize that the best solution lay with the use of an alarm. In retrospect, the success of our eight-year-old son's efforts was largely due to this book in conjunction with effective use of the Malem Alarm.

Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting is available at Amazon.

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