Talking with your daughter about her incontinence may not be a conversation she is comfortable with, nor a conversation that you are keen to have, but it is necessary.  Managing this condition is only going to become more difficult for her, so the more support you can give her the better off she will be. 

Here are a few key tips that may help you when discussing your daughter’s incontinence with her.

Be Patient Don’t let stress from work or the home come into this conversation.  If you become irritated with your daughter, you may limit how openly she is willing to talk about this sensitive and potentially embarrassing issue in her life.  If you think your partner would be better suited to having this conversation with her, then by all means, let him or her.  This is not a popularity competition, so doing what makes your daughter feel the most comfortable and secure about the issue should take priority.

Don’t Lead the Conversation towards Diapers Though adult diapers and other incontinence products will help both of you, bringing them up every time you and your child talk is never a good idea. In fact, if you’re discussing incontinence for the first time, the goal and content of your conversation should be about informing your child about the prevalence of the problem and to persuade them into going to the doctor with you for a medical evaluation.

Read as Much as You Can about Incontinence There is a vast amount of literature online and offline about incontinence.  Read as much as you can on the topic so that you can provide the answers your daughter is looking for. If you get stumped at any point, be truthful and admit that you don’t know about it but are willing to research it with her.

Be Sympathetic Most parents, especially dads, can appear a little less caring while discussing this issue since they believe that sympathy is for the weak. However, you need to keep in mind that your daughter is opening up to you because they trust you and want your help. If you aren’t the least bit sympathetic to their situation, they may close up and refuse to discuss their condition. So, show sympathy throughout the conversation, avoid making any kind of jokes, and be careful of your choice of words around your daughter.

If you daughter gets confrontational, avoid a fight with her, as she needs you in this time of need.   Be sympathetic, empathetic and well-informed to help her manage her incontinence. 

Ten million children a year head to summer camps to meet new people, experience new things, challenge themselves and enjoy a change of scenery. However, teenagers suffering from urinary or bowel movement incontinence may not take part because they’re embarrassed of their condition. On the other hand, some parents may be too worried that their children will be mocked if someone found out.

Whether you’re a teen or a parent, you need to understand one thing: incontinence isn’t the end of the road. It is an issue but it is easily manageable with the help of certain measures taken by the sufferers and their parents.

What a Parent Should Do You have the option of putting your child through a special summer camp that deals with children suffering from incontinence. However, this isn’t always a solution since you need to help your teen live with this issue for years to come. Besides, if your child is sensitive about their condition, they may feel as if they’re standing out from the rest.

So, if you go for a regular camping experience, here are the steps you should follow:

1.       Before the camp session starts, head to the camp with your child and check out its facilities. You should also check the sleeping arrangements as well as their proximity to the bathrooms.

2.       Ask the instructors if they ever handled children suffering from teen incontinence. Also, discuss your child’s needs with them so that they know what to do. However, inform your teen that you will be taking this step and explain that it is for their own good using the right reasons.

3.       Talk to your teenager’s physician and see if they recommend the use of any oral medicines. However, take this step at least a month before shipping your kid to camp to see if the meds actually work or not.

4.       Pack the essentials your child would need during their camping session. Make sure to include incontinence disposable products and three pairs of underwear for each day they spend in camp. Also, don’t forget to add additional clothes and a flashlight so that your child can make their way to the bathroom without waking anyone else.

5.       Teach your child how to discreetly clean after themselves and dispose of any products they use.

Whatever you do, make sure to talk to your teen about each of these steps. You should also soothe them because they’ll be tense about going to a regular camp, especially if this is their first time.

What a Teen Should Do Though your parents may take care of most of your needs, it is your responsibility as well to make sure that things go smoothly at camp. Here are some tips to help you have a fun summer at camp minus any awkwardness:

·         Before heading to camp, start practicing how to control your bladder or bowel movements for a longer time. You should also double-check whether or not your parents have packed everything you will need over the new few weeks.

·         Before sleeping, make sure to secretly have everything you may need at night in case you don’t make it to the bathroom on time. For example, you will need a plastic bag to dispose of your wet underwear or incontinence products.

·         In the absence of your parents, your counselor is in charge of you. So, be open to them and share with them if you ever need anything.

·         Make sure that you have plenty of wet wipes and other hygiene products on you so that you can easily clean yourself and ensure that the smell doesn’t reach the others.

·         Don’t think too much about your predicament or else you won’t have fun or be able to make friends while at camp.

So, parents and teenagers, make sure to abide by these simple steps and tips to get the most out of summer camps. 

As the parent of a teenage girl diagnosed with teen incontinence, you may have been investing in feminine hygiene pads. However, what you may not know is that these pads are not enough for your daughter. In fact, if she is susceptible to excreting a large amount of urine or feces, she is bound to end up with a big mess. Besides, not changing this pad regularly can cause her to develop numerous health issues due to the germs of both excretions.

Therefore, if you want to provide your teen with the most protection while ensuring her health, you need to consider other incontinence products designed for her gender. Here are three you should consider for her instead.

Incontinence Underwear There are two types of incontinence panties for girls: disposable and washable. Disposable ones are usually made of plastic and come with incontinence pads that differ in size depending on how heavily your daughter’s incontinence excretions are. On the other hand, washable incontinence underwear looks the same as regular underwear but includes a moisture resistant pouch where your daughter will place the absorbent liner.  Again, the size of the liner will depend on how much control your daughter has on her bladder or bowel movements.

Special Incontinence Pads They look just like a normal feminine hygiene pad, but these are usually longer and thicker to absorb quickly. In addition, they are more expensive, which can deter many parents from investing in them if they’re on tight budgets. However, compare a few extra dollars to the cost of numerous gynecologist visits and you will definitely choose to go for incontinence pads. These aside, only go for this option if your daughter doesn’t suffer from heavy incontinence and causes a big mess.

Tampons and Vaginal Inserts Another option girls should consider is using tampons and prescribed vaginal inserts. These put pressure on the bladder to ensure fewer accidents. In addition, many companies claim that these products can help cure your little princess from incontinence by helping the pelvic floor muscles regain their strength. However, before you hurry up and buy these, you need to consult with your daughter’s physician first. These products don’t always suit everyone, especially girls under 15. So, don’t take any step without checking with the doctor.

Now all of these are products which your daughter can use round the clock. However, if you want to reduce the chances of any accidents, you need to make sure that she takes extra measures at school and during sports. Once at home, you can help her manage incontinence (especially at night) using waterproof bedding and other products which can reduce your laundry efforts.

Another important thing you should teach her is how to dispose of these discreetly, especially when she’s out with friends or having a sleepover. This is why there are so many guides on this site to help you with this aspect.

Finally, whichever product you choose, make sure that it gels well with your daughter as well since she has to use it and not you. Besides, taking her opinion will give her self-esteem a much needed boost, especially since teen incontinence may have robbed her of it. So, follow all of this information religiously so that both you and your daughter can enjoy a peaceful, uneven

Talking with your child about incontinence is never easy. However, the task gets harder when your child is a teenage boy. After all, boys don’t listen too well, are less concerned with their physical safety, and don’t wear their emotions on their sleeves. Therefore, you need to know how you can tackle them so that they can learn what they need to know about incontinence.

As this may be new territory for you, here are some tips to help you effectively discuss teen incontinence with your son.

Decide Who Should Do the Talking If your son is closer to your spouse or to one of his siblings, you should entrust them with the task of talking to him. This is important because they know how to communicate best with your son without ruffling his feathers. Besides, he may trust them a little more, which means that he will be a little more receptive to what they say. Remember that this isn’t a popularity competition; so do what is best for your son rather than what gives you more importance in their life.

Be Prepared for a Response While talking to your teenage son, you should expect them to respond to you, maybe even violently if they have developed a strong male ego so early. The key is for you to keep calm and ensure him that this is a common issue that both you and he can manage effectively. You can also explain that he doesn’t need to worry about diapers or anyone finding out about their issue and mocking their condition. However, regardless of what you do, show your son that you have his back no matter what happens.

Read as Much as You Can Boys are more analytical than girls, so expect them to ask different questions about teen incontinence. Read as much as you can on the topic so that you can provide answers. If you get stumped at any point, be truthful and admit that you don’t know about it but are willing to research it with him. Also coax your son to head to the doctor so that they can determine the best way for handling his case.

Be Gentle Even if your son is the opposite of gentle, you NEED to be gentle and empathetic at all times. If you joke about it right from the start, you’re bound to alienate your son and drive them to be aloof. Also consider rehearsing your tone. Using a very formal tone or an extremely friendly one can put your son to shame even if that’s the last thing you need to do.

Discuss Diapers Once and in a Certain Context During your first talks with your son, you need to bring adult diapers in your conversation but not as a solution for their incontinence issues. You should explain that you won’t be putting them in diapers, but they will have to learn how to use incontinence products until they can gain control over their bladder or bowel movements. You can motivate your son and ensure him that he won’t need to use these products once he learns how to fight this problem.

Keep in mind that you may face trouble talking to your son despite these tips. However, you can avoid a major fight and him not listening to you by being gentle, empathetic and well-informed.

Unlike other health issues, incontinence (the inability to control urine or bowel motion) has the biggest effect on teenagers’ psyche. After all, most teens believe that this issue is limited to the frail elderly. Besides, if any of their friends or schoolmates found out, they are bound to be teased relentlessly until they graduate high school. Therefore, as a parent, you need to show your support during this tough time, especially since they will need a non-judgmental ear to share with.

However, as you probably know, teenagers are a little tricky to handle and talk to at times. So, here are five tips to help you become the first person your child turns to for advice.

#1) Stay Calm At All Times - With a busy schedule at work and a lot of cleaning up after your kid at home, it is very easy for you to get hassled and lash out. However, if you lose your temper even once, you are bound to close all the doors to communicating with your teen. So, if you’re prone to feeling that this issue is unsanitary and problematic, get someone (preferably your spouse or an older child) to help you either by talking to your kid or cleaning up their messes.

#2) Don’t Lead the Conversation towards Diapers Every Time Though adult diapers and other incontinence products will help both of you, bringing them up every time you and your child talk is never a good idea. In fact, if you’re discussing incontinence for the first time, your whole conversation should be to inform your child about the problem and coax them gently to go to the doctor with you for a medical evaluation. After your initial talks, keep your conversations on this topic light and tell your kid that you’re open and available to talk about this issue whenever they want.

#3) Pick the Right Timing for Your Discussions This is one of the awkward conversations which your teen may try to weasel out of. However, you can make this discussion beneficial for both of you while doing something your teen enjoys, such as fishing or taking long drives. In fact, go for activities which don’t require eye contact so that your child never feels that they’re under scrutiny. So, plan something fun, even at home, if you intend to bring the topic of urinary incontinence or bowel movement incontinence with your teenager.

#4) Always be Sympathetic Most parents, especially dads, can appear a little less caring while discussing this issue since they believe that sympathy is for the weak. However, you need to keep in mind that your teen is opening up to you because they trust you and want your help. If you aren’t the least bit sympathetic to their problem, they are bound to close up and spiral into depression. So, show sympathy throughout the conversation, avoid making any kind of jokes, and be careful of your choice of words around your teen.

#5) Avoid Letting Any of These Slip Out of Your Lips There are a few things which you should never say in front of your teen, such as the following:

·         “I am so sick of cleaning up after you. Wear your diapers already!”

·         “Why can’t you control yourself?!”

·         “Why are you punishing me like this?”

·         “No more liquids for you from now on!”

·         “I’m so embarrassed by you. I can’t take you anywhere.”

·         “You’re going to wear/use incontinence products your whole life.”

Anything along these lines will hurt your teenager’s already fragile feelings, so avoid them at all costs if you don’t want a rift between you and your child.

So, remember these tips at all costs so that you can easily communicate with your child and discuss teen incontinence with ease.