Print Version

Size 541 kb

Star Charts

Basic rules

• a positive approach is best,
• your child is not 'doing it on purpose'.

The Star chart gives us information regarding the pattern of wetting and whether we have made a significant impact on this with the treatment or advice that we have given.

The child should preferably complete it. Only dry nights should be recorded. The emphasis is to give positive feedback to the child on dry nights. Children will often feel guilty on wet nights and dry nights are often relatively ignored by the family, especially on a rushed school morning.

We have no objection to the use of reward as long as it does not have a negative effect (i.e. upset as they failed to get the reward) or if it appears to make them different from their brothers or sisters.

If the night-time wetting occurs every night then the use of a star chart may actually make your child feel more negative about their night-time wetting. Under these circumstances we would not use a star chart. However please ensure that plenty of praise is given on any dry nights and that the wet nights are seen as normal. The child should not have the feeling of having 'done wrong' or 'failure' simply because they were wet.

Star charts can also be useful with other problems such as constipation.

It would help if you could bring the star charts with you to clinic.