Bed wetting and sleep away camp

[VillainV]

C turns 9 in April. We are considering sending him to about 6 days of sleep away camp next summer with a friend of his from before we moved. They still keep in touch and talk/play online games several times a week.

He still wets the bed maybe 50-75% of the time. Less when we’re at home, more when we travel. When we traveled most recently, he woke up wet almost every morning.

His pedi isn’t concerned and we aren’t either. She did give us a prescription to try on our recent trip, but it didn’t work.

At home and when we travel we use incontinence pads over the bed and do a lot of laundry. Technically he will still fit in Good Nites, but he really doesn’t want to wear them. I worry that both bed wetting and GoodNites would subject him to teasing at camp.

WWYD? Would you book the camp and hope he outgrows the bed wetting by summer? Would you suggest waiting a year? Send him with GoodNites and hope for the best?

Registration opens in a month…

[beerlover]

I am sure there have to be other kids at this camp who deal with the same issue. I wonder if there is a nurse/other medical provider on staff that you can ask? Maybe they could give suggestions on how other families handle it?

[Saudade]

Could he wear the goodnites under his regular underwear? Then kids wouldn’t be able to see it?

[sdlaura]

My oldest son turns 9 soon, and went to a week of sleepaway camp for the first time last summer, at a YMCA camp an hour from us. He doesn’t have issues with bed wetting, but overall I found the staff and other kids to be super supportive and accommodating even at this very non fancy camp. He got to pick his bunk and picked one that had a staff member sleeping in the same room (there were several connected rooms in a ‘cabin’ with a shared bathroom), so there was a lot of supervision. It was most of the kids’ first times at sleepaway camp (my son had previously never even done a sleepover with friends).

I think you’d need to expect that your son would handle whatever you decide to use himself - you can’t expect the staff to be doing laundry - but I think the staff would be discreet about helping him put on a goodnite every night and throw it away in the morning. You could just talk to them about the issue at drop-off.

[mrsGreeko]

I think most overnight camps can deal with this in a way that keeps him from being teased. Our overnight camp asks on the camper forms if the camper is an active bedwetter. I’m not sure exactly how they handle it, but if they ask about it I’m sure they have a way to deal with it. There is also a really good chance that he will suddenly outgrow it before summer. I did not sign my DS up for overnight camp because of this and then by that summer it wasn’t an issue anyway.

[yellow23]

My daughter went to sleep away camp for the first time last summer at age 9. She didn’t consistently wet the bed, but would go several months with no accidents and then have 3-4 a week for a few weeks. She took good nights and would slip one into her sleeping bag. When everyone was in bed, she would slip it on while inside her sleeping bag. I had sent Target bags for her to tie up any wet ones so it wouldn’t be obvious what it was in the trash can. She didn’t have any accidents at camp so she didn’t have to do that part.

[acr]

We have experience with this. DS's first year of sleep away camp, he was still wetting the bed most nights. He was gone for 2 weeks & here's how we tackled it.

1. At the time, there were washable briefs available that had disposable inserts. He would go to the nurse's every evening before bed to put these on. We had them all loaded up and ready for him for most of the time, but taught him to do it as well.
2. He'd go to the nurse in the morning to change as well back into regular underwear.

In talking with the camp directors & nurses, it was relatively common. DS never really had an issue with this process at camp and all was fine.

FWIW, in our experience, the meds didn't work either. We had to just dedicate a few weeks to sleeping in DS's room with him to wake him up when the pee alarm went off.

[redhead610]

We dealt with this with our son and had success with the bed wetting alarm - it only took about a week for him.

Is there a number you can call or email address to talk with the camp about this ahead of enrolling? If they have a plan for handling it discreetly (like using goodnights). It's a common issue so it seems like something they must have a plan for.

[VillainV]

Jan 9, 2023 10:59:01 GMT -5 redhead610 said:

We dealt with this with our son and had success with the bed wetting alarm - it only took about a week for him.

Is there a number you can call or email address to talk with the camp about this ahead of enrolling? If they have a plan for handling it discreetly (like using goodnights). It's a common issue so it seems like something they must have a plan for.

We have already tried the pee alarm, and it didn’t work for us. He sleeps through everything, even is trying to wake him up.

I hadn’t thought about calling or emailing ahead, but that’s a great idea!

[joy]

Is your son stressed about the potential bedwetting or is it just you at the moment?

I’m curious for his reaction to this. It may be “oh, I have a plan!” Or is he stressed about how to handle this/hadn’t even thought about it yet.

[VillainV]

Jan 9, 2023 11:39:45 GMT -5 joy said:

Is your son stressed about the potential bedwetting or is it just you at the moment?

I’m curious for his reaction to this. It may be “oh, I have a plan!” Or is he stressed about how to handle this/hadn’t even thought about it yet.

No, he’s not stressed at all. It’s not something he’s really thought about. We aren’t really stressed either (we try really hard not to make a big deal out of it). But camp would be a first for all of us, so I want to make sure we have a plan in place if it’s something we end up doing.

[joy]

Jan 9, 2023 12:06:23 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Jan 9, 2023 11:39:45 GMT -5 joy said:

Is your son stressed about the potential bedwetting or is it just you at the moment?

I’m curious for his reaction to this. It may be “oh, I have a plan!” Or is he stressed about how to handle this/hadn’t even thought about it yet.

No, he’s not stressed at all. It’s not something he’s really thought about. We aren’t really stressed either (we try really hard not to make a big deal out of it). But camp would be a first for all of us, so I want to make sure we have a plan in place if it’s something we end up doing.

Oh, I totally agree with you. I was just curious if he had voiced any worries, hadn’t considered it, or was all steam ahead because he had a plan. Haha.

Good luck!!

[devonpow]

I have no knowledge of bed wetting, but as a long time overnight camp parent I guarantee that the camp has dealt with this before and can easily help with a plan. Definitely give them a call.

[VillainV]

Jan 9, 2023 12:19:22 GMT -5 joy said:

Jan 9, 2023 12:06:23 GMT -5 VillainV said:

No, he’s not stressed at all. It’s not something he’s really thought about. We aren’t really stressed either (we try really hard not to make a big deal out of it). But camp would be a first for all of us, so I want to make sure we have a plan in place if it’s something we end up doing.

Oh, I totally agree with you. I was just curious if he had voiced any worries, hadn’t considered it, or was all steam ahead because he had a plan. Haha.

Good luck!!

Lol, he’s all steam ahead (because FRIEND!) but has no plan. To be fair, at 8.5, he rarely has a plan for anything. I kind of love how carefree he is!

[daisyduck]

My DD went to sleep away camp last summer and in the parents guide (that I didn't get until we registered) there was a section on this. It said they deal with it all of the time, they will discreetly wash and return bedding when needed, won't bring attention to any accidents, etc. We filled out a detailed medical history and there were questions on bed wetting. It said if you identified that as a concern they would let the counselors know to look out for it and be able to help.

So to sum up and agree with everyone else, they handle this stuff every day and I'm sure you can come up with a good plan to address it.

[icedcoffee]

I was a camp counselor at sleepaway camp for the youngest kids and one of them bedwet. Her mom approached me at drop off about it.  We snuck to the bathroom together before lights out where I handed her a pull up that she put on.  In the morning I helped her dispose of it discretely.  It was a total non issue.  Register him and send him with pullups.  Talk to the counselor about making it discreet at dropoff.

[waverly]

I was a camp counselor too. The parent talked to the camp director or higher up staff than me anyway, and then we were informed. Someone came and discreetly took away the sleeping bag and washed it, and then returned it at night. I can't remember who did it now, maybe it was the person in charge of the health or if that particular camp has someone that comes in and cleans and does laundry. Laundry is not typical at this camp for the campers (i.e. not advertised as such), but they did have a washer/ dryer for kitchen towels and those kinds of things.  So they were able to utilize it for these kinds of situations.  

[wanderingback]

I wouldn’t delay the camp if he wants to go. I’d just come up with a plan and work with the camp as he’s not the first to deal with this.
As a military kid growing up who moved a lot it’s great he’s kept in touch with his friends!

[imimahoney]

My son is starting overnight camp this summer. On the intake forms they asked about any medical or social emotional issues that may arise so they could beat determine if they could handle the situation appropriately for the child. (My son had adhd and some sensory stuff)

I then had a very thorough conversation with the director about him and his needs. I would imagine something similar would happen in your case. I'd reach out asap and see what the director says.

[konapoppy]

Please just tell the camp.

I was a counselor with a child who would wet themselves (throughout the day, not just at night), and had learned to hide it. The parents hadn’t told anyone, and there was just so much shame. It was a month long camp, and decades later I still think about it. It doesn’t sound like you would do this, obviously, but wanted to emphasize telling the adults.

To others’ point, when the camp knows about it, they can help.

[CloudBee]

I love the scenario listed above where a child went to the nurse's office before bedtime / after wakeup. I bet a lot of kids do this for meds. I would start emailing camps and ask what their scenarios are. If they don't have a solution, offer this as an option and see if they are willing.