Of GoodNights and good nights...

I don't have any helpful advice about the wetting....what I can offer is a thought about GS camp. Contact the director of the camp and explain the situation to her. If this is a council camp, they camp with hundreds of girls a year and your daughter will absolutely NOT be the first/only 7 year-old in this situation. Find out how they teach the counselors to help the scouts like your daughter. There should be a procedure that will let your daughter have a rewarding camp experience while protecting her privacy. It may be as simple as providing a private changing area for all of the girls to use and keeping an opaque trashbag there. Anyway, the director should be able to tell you about it and then addressing the situation with her counselor (ahead of time) should enable your DD to have a great camp experience.

Happy Scouting!
Lenora

All I can say is that my almost 6 year old boy has the exact same problem and I have finally determined that it is physiological and not because he's lazy and I've just settled in for the long haul. We don't make a big deal about it but he wears the pull-ups every night and we just act like it's normal for a boy his age to still need a diaper. He really wanted to try without it for a while so I bought a bunch of bed liners and let him try, and took him to the bathroom several times a night and finally, one night as he stood squinting and blinking in front of the toilet I finally asked, "Do you want to just wear the diapers again so you don't have to keep waking up?"

He did and we're still wearing them. Since I know it could be several years before he outgrows it we're just doing our best to keep it from being an issue for him. But he hasn't yet had any sleepovers outside of the family. that part may be tricky

Good luck Jo! My thought is that there may be some medical reason for this. You may want to chat with your physician about it (maybe you already have). Barring that, I think you are on the right course. Lenora's advice is good - I am sure that the Girl Scout camps have a way of dealing with this. FWIW, my DS10 still wakes up "damp" a couple night a week.
Andrea

We went through it, too. Still going through it. My daughter is 10. She had bladder reflux, frequent bladder infections and eventually after 4 years, when the blood levels in her urine got so high we went for surgery. Turns out she was 9 and had the urethra of a 2 year old. No wonder she had problems. After that it was like floodgates. She was finally able to pee normally and now a nearly a year after we are still wetting the bed. So I kinda know what I'm talking about.

What I have learned:
1. Restricting fluids doesn't work. All it does is make the child nervous "I didn't drink anything, it's not going to happen tonight" and when it does the utter helplessness they feel is heartbreaking.
2. They aren't lazy. They don't snuggle into the bed and think " yeah tonight I'm gonna pee just to piss Mom off" If anything the last thought they have is "Please not tonight"
3. There is no shame. At all, ever. If you are angry at having to wash sheets every night, or even at your child for not being 'normal' fake it. Seriously.

Why it may be happening:
1.Structure problems. Maybe the growth is off a bit and the child has a tiny bladder. Maybe the valves don't close properly and the bladder fills suddenly. A simple VCUG can help figure this out.
2. There is a hormone (which I can't recall the name of) that turns on when you go to sleep slowing body functions, including the signal to fill the bladder.
3.Deep sleeper. The child may be a very deep sleeper and not notice that they have to pee, or even that they are wet and cold.
4.Habit. Your brain tells you "hey wake up, go pee" If you tell your brain "Later, man", then eventually your brain will stop sending the message. You will have to retrain your brain to send that message.

What to do:
1.Nothing. Most problems like this clear up before the child reaches 12. Right before puberty, the body grows, changes, new hormones take over and suddenly the child doesn't pee in the bed anymore.
2.Alarms. They work, if you work them. And it gives the child an active role. Some alarms hook to the underwear. Some you lay on. At the slightest wetness an alarm sounds. A VERY LOUD ALARM. It startles the child awake and they run to the bathroom, usually peeing, down the leg the first few times. After a while the brain connects the "Oh we have pee" message to the " Holy Cow what's that noise" message. and will wake up the child without the alarm. Think Pavlov's response. But you cannot use the alarm one night and not the next. And the alarm is very very loud. It's worth saying twice. LOL And the child hooks the alarm up, and turns it off, the child strips the sheets and cleans him or herself up. Every time the child wets. It completely wakes the child up, so doing this during exam time isn't a good idea, the summer months are better. It can take from 2 weeks to 3 months for it to work.
3.Medication. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not going to put my two cents in, but a pediatric urologist can give you more info.

About the sleepover: No pressure. Just pack the goodnights, like you would pack panties. Let the leaders know. Have a trash can in the bathroom. When she wakes up in the morning, have her go to the bathroom asap and clean up, changing in the bathroom. Very simple.

My daughter's best friend was awesome. She knew my daughter's "secret" and she was so very protective and sweet. She covered for Sarah when she needed to get up, distracting the other girls while Sarah went to the bathroom in the morning. maybe yo could have your daughter clue in a really good friend, maybe sit this friend down and explain everything to her. It's always good to know you have support from friends, especially away from home.

That's all I got. Give your daughter a hug for me.

You know, she is a really sound sleeper. I would say she has woken up dunig the night only 6-7 times since she weaned, and those were for bad dreams. That certainly may play a role.

She is, by nature, a well-hydrated child. She drinks a lot of water and pees a lot too. (No, no diabetes) That may be part of it.

And, my mom had the same problem, so there is the genetic link.

What I'm worried about is her concern. We have never, ever shamed her. She is free to wear the GoodNights as long as she wants. I figured that since she has only been dry all night once, she's probably not ready. It's her pushing to go without them. She never used to care, and has expressed concern about it related to camp. I hate it when she gets upset at herself.

I think I will have the pediatrician talk to her about it. They have a great relationship because of the whole thyral glossal duct cyst thing, so that is probably the place to start. If Deanna assures her it's much more common than she thinks, maybe she'll feel better.

And Lenore, the camp already had that on their getting to know you form that went in two weeks early. I'm confident the counselor will help and handle it with dignity.

Thanks Again Everyone!
-Jo

Its not what they'e made for but the Always' Underwear (not in underwear section at store) work too. They look like regular pink underwear but have the built in pantyliner that will more than cover the area needed. They are meant for heavy, overnight use. I like these because they let the little one know hey I'm wet! but at the same time pull the moisture away. That way at sleepovers, camping, etc.. its no biggie to shove one in a pocket and go take care of business then just throw lastnites pair away. If she's not "into" the g'nites.

I have twin DS14 that are bedwetters-hormonal imbalance inherited- so I understand your feelings. The alarms did NOT work for us. The loud rude awakening caused them to be very hateful and caused them to be more upset about being bedwetters. They take a pill in the morning when they get up and they try to use the restroom at regular intervals. Another thing that works is to keep them warm at night. I know it sounds odd but its helped at our house. Think back to when your DD was a baby and you changed her..you removed the diaper and cold air hit her and she started wetting..same concept just bigger kiddo's.

Buy extra sheets either all the same or coordinating ones that you can mix and match. I make sure washer is empty at bedtime so if its been a rough nite. My boys strip their beds then toss the sheets in washer. This is not punishment it gives them some privacy about what kind of night they had. Your DD can help you remake her bed. Let her pick the sheets and you can do the parachute thing with the sheets- make it fun "us" time.

Those days when you think you can't handle it.. stop..breathe..take a few minutes to yourself..its ok and will be ok. Just remember they can't help it. Your only stuck with the laundry. Their stuck with all the feelings and the disappointment of just trying to make it one night. Even if nothing criticizing is ever said remember they want more than anything to please us (yeah even when they're using markers on your new couch).