Compromises

Mallory has a problem with primary nocturnal enuresis -- in other words, she wets the bed. Rather, she wets a Pull-up; it's highly ironic that I went to a great deal of time and effort to use cloth diapers for her as a baby and then have had to use a disposable pull-up for her every single night for going on four years. Her pediatrician told me not to worry about it; that some kids, due to a combination of heavy sleeping, small bladders, immature brain-bladder connection, whatever, just aren't able to hold it until they're 7 or so and any methods I may have tried -- waking her at midnight, withholding fluids, etc -- probably wouldn't have worked anyway.

So I have followed the path of least resistance and done nothing. And lo and behold, around Christmas she started to have the occasional dry night. Hooray! In February, I started drawing a star on the calendar for every morning she woke up dry. I told her that if she got ten starts in a row, she could have a special treat. This Saturday she woke up dry, I drew a star, and she counted and said, "Ten stars! I get a treat!" I said, "You have ten total stars this month, but not ten in a row." She said, "Don't you think I should get a little treat?"

So I agreed that maybe she could have something little. "How about...a TV in my room?" she said.

"No."

"Um...how about going to Disney World?"

"No!"

"Um...I know, a puppy!"

Good grief, I hate to think what the child will expect if she ever does earn a "big" treat. We finally settled on going roller skating. She said it was the most fun ever. I was happy to oblige. I'll let you know if she ever does get ten in a row...and what we manage to agree on for a special surprise at that point.