My stepson is amazingly funny, sweet and smart. Over the past year, his father and I have found that he is urinating in containers in his bedroom and storing them. Tonight I went to his closet to get his suitcase for tennis camp and when I pulled out the luggage and water jug, the jug was over 1/2 full of urine and splashed every where (and yes, on me).
My husband and I talked to him about this less than a month ago and he said he did it at night because if the went to the bathroom he would wake up too much to go back to sleep. He has a lot of trouble sleeping (his mother has him on melatonin). This is the 4th time I am aware he has done this when home with us but I imagine it is happening all the time.
I think he needs to talk to someone...that it is not just being "lazy" as he and my husband have agreed to call to it. The first time I found the urine and we talked about it, aside from asking him why and if he was having bladder problems, I also asked if he did this when he was at his mother's home. He said he did.
His parents divorced when he was 2 and have joint custody. For as long as I have been his stepmom, all I have seen is my stepson used as a tool to poke the other spouse. Also, his mother is very controlling, has issues with locking doors, and lots of "worries."
My husband doesn't want to admit that this is a serious issue (which I think it is), and his mother insist he does not do this at her house (contrary to what my stepson has said). Both of them appear to want to ignore this issue and place blame on the other one.
I love my stepson very much and want to address this. When I confront him he just says he is sorry and I have continued to tell him that there is nothing to be sorry about, but that I am concerned and don't understand what is the cause. I worry that he is developing problems that will only get worse s he is almost out of high school. I don't know where to start...doctor...therapist? He also has problems picking up food that drops to the floor, touching kitchen trash, wears ear plugs to bed and went through a stage about 4 years ago where he was putting toilet paper on the toilet seat at home and at the homes of friends and family - so much so he was stopping up the toilets. As I am typing this, it seems even more absurd that we have not addressed this sooner. Does anyone have any experience with this? Suggestions on where to start?