Tom's advice to children and teenagers dealing with bedwetting

Tom wet the bed as a child and is now a parent himself. He's sharing his experience to help other children and their families.

How did you feel about bedwetting as a child?

I would say I felt quite ashamed, as if I was doing something wrong. Certainly as I got older, it felt more shameful and embarrassing.

It can feel quite lonely, because even though its not the case, it can sometimes feel like you're the only person in the world dealing with it.

What helped you cope?

Good family support helped me cope. I had really supportive parents and brothers who were great.

Having a routine in place to deal with it, so having a good night time routine and a routine/plan in place for dealing with wet nights.

And a plan for staying away from home, so things like Drynites for sleepovers. It might feel embarrassing, but it can be done and just trying to keep things as normal as possible helps.

Advice/encouragement

It's really important to talk, talk to your parents, brothers and sisters. Remember you are not the only person - for such a long time I thought I was alone, but later found out one of my cousins also wet the bed.

Keep positive, even when it seems like its never going to stop. Even if you have tried everything, stay positive and keep trying because eventually things will get better.

There's plenty of times where I thought I was going to just wet the bed all my life, but I got through it and it eventually stopped.

Don't let it hold you back. There are ways you can enjoy everything. With a bit of planning it's possible to have sleepovers and holidays away from home and it not be a big issue.