Bladder Control - Annoying Behavior in an Eight Year-old Boy Who Holds His Pee

I recently saw an 8 year-old boy for bedwetting. He wet every night and had uncommon dry nights. Mom reported that he has always tended to hold his pee to the last minute and then race to the bathroom. She described his holding postures as “bouncing” or “jigging around.” When she asks him to pee in this circumstance he sometimes denies that he needs to pee. When he finally does race to the bathroom he has minor prevoid dampness but he doesn’t wet enough to change his clothes. The last time he had a soaker by day was in preschool.

Mom also reported that over the years she noted that when her son has an overfull bladder he is “annoying” to his brothers. “His behaviour changes in an unpleasant way." The bad behaviour/holding the pee pattern was common and whenever the parents noticed him pestering his brothers, whether they saw the holding postures or not, they routinely asked him to go pee. The bad behaviour resolved after he emptied his bladder. 

I see negative behaviour due to an overfull bladder on a regular basis in the children in my office and I am sure these scenarios are commonly played out at home and at school. My sense is that the majority of mothers and teachers notice the poor behaviour but do not make the connection with the overfull bladder. Next time you see a child with poor behaviour, consider asking them to go pee.