nail biting and bed wetting

[kim]

My son was five in February.  He was potty trained by 3 1/2 but still wears a pull  up at night.  There is no rhyme or reason to his wetting.  He can go weeks without an accident and then pee 4 nights in a row.  Is this normal?  and yes, it does occur more at stressful times.

Also, just this summer he began biting his nails and picking at his cuticles.  I, his mother, pick my fingers as well and try desperatly to not do it around my children.  I have another son who is 9 and does not have or never did have any of these problems.

What can I do to get him to stop biting and picking?  He says "i try so hard mom, but I can't help it."  Please help.
As far as the bed wetting accidents, when should I be concerned that he is beyond the acceptable limit and seek help?
Thank you
Kim Carlin

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Carlin,

It's not really unusual for a five-year-old to be experiencing nocturnal enuresis, and there's really no need to be alarmed about it. Given that he is already dry during some nights, as he matures you are likely to witness gradual progress toward dryness all nights. So be patient, no need to seek any special treatment.

Relative to the nail biting, it is generally a habit pattern that develops as a way to reduce tension. If there are ongoing stressors that are bothering your son, it makes sense of course to try to alleviate the stressors. But, it's often not any unusual or overt circumstances that result in nail biting, but rather an ongoing habit. At home, it might be useful for a while (e.g., when your son is watching television or otherwise not using his hands) to have him wear cotton gloves or mittens and to use a rubber ball or worry beads to finger as an alternative self-soothing or tension reducing tactic. Sometimes such an intervention breaks the cycle of nail biting.

[kim]

Thank you for the information. I will try a rubbing stone or "worry beads" and see how that goes.  Thank you for your reply.
Kim