Was I wrong for telling my son the Dr said he had to wear diapers?

A single mom faced a tough moment trying to help her 6-year-old son with his bedwetting struggles, but one choice left her second-guessing. She faked a phone call to the doctor to convince him to wear protective Goodnites, and it worked—but was it the right move?

This story dives into the challenges of parenting, love, and those tricky decisions that come with raising a child. Was her little white lie a clever way to ease her son’s embarrassment, or could it backfire? Let’s explore her journey and what the online community had to say.

‘Was I wrong for telling my son the Dr said he had to wear diapers?’

It all started when the mom took her son to the doctor to address his ongoing bedwetting issue:

I 35f am divorced with a son 6m. My ex husband has visitation rights but doesn't visit very often so I'm pretty much a full time single mom.

My son has had on again off again bedwetting issues his whole life, he would wet the bed for long periods of time and then stop for a few nights...

Yesterday I took him to the Dr to find out why he still wet the bed and what I should do about it. His Dr reassured me that he was...

Following the doctor’s advice, she bought Goodnites pull-ups for her son to use at night:

We stopped off at the store and I bought my son a few packages of goodnites pull ups for bedwetting. When we got home he was curious about what his...

so I opened one of the packages and showed him the goodnite, he became very upset saying " that's a diaper, im not a baby I don't wanna wear a...

Her son’s emotions ran high, prompting her to comfort him and lighten the mood:

He was still very upset and started crying, I held him while he cried and reasured him everything would be okay, once he calmed down and stopped crying I said...

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Bedtime brought renewed protests, pushing the mom to her limit:

Then bedtime came, and I brought in the goodnites I took one out and asked if he needed help putting it on, he started protesting saying " I'm not a...

Exhausted and dreading another load of laundry, she tried a different approach:

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I was exhausted and didn’t want to have to wash his sheets again the next day. So I told him I would call the Dr and ask her what she...

I then got my phone out and pretended to call his Dr and have a conversation with her where I asked about the pull ups. I then pretended to hang...

Her son finally agreed, and the night went smoothly, though guilt lingered:

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He said okay and finally let me help him into the goodnites, then he got in his pj’s and I tucked him in bed read him two of his favourite...

I’m glad I didn’t have to wash his sheets again today and he was glad he didn’t wet the bed and I do think that this is best for him...

The mom’s dilemma centers on her son’s bedwetting and her choice to use a white lie to get him to wear Goodnites. Bedwetting at age 6 is common, especially for deep sleepers or kids under stress. The doctor’s assurance that the boy is healthy and may outgrow it aligns with medical norms, and Goodnites offer a practical way to ease the burden on both mother and child.

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Her fake phone call was a gentle nudge to help her son accept the solution without feeling ashamed. Child psychologist Dr. Laura Markham notes, “Creative approaches can help kids navigate embarrassment, as long as they’re rooted in respect and care”. The mom’s comforting gestures and efforts to make her son feel safe show she handled it with love.

On the flip side, some might argue that even a small lie could risk trust if discovered. Calling Goodnites “special underwear” instead of “diapers” might have eased his resistance. Bedwetting could also stem from stress, like his father’s absence, so chatting with a counselor could uncover deeper issues.

Practical advice includes sticking with Goodnites while framing them positively, limiting fluids before bed, ensuring a pre-bed bathroom visit, and possibly waking him mid-night to pee. Above all, keeping this private is crucial to protect his self-esteem.

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Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

The online community jumps in with a mix of support, practical tips, and lighthearted takes, shedding new light on this mom’s dilemma.

These commenters relate to the mom and share their own solutions.

Orphen_1989 − I wetted the bed for a long time as a kid. At one point my mom started waking me up when she went to bed (usually around 11:30PM)...

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As for your kid wearing diapers at night, like someone else already mentioned tell NO ONE. Not your family, not your friends, NO ONE. You may think he's just a...

Apprehensive_Eye7370 − My son was a bed wetter at that age. He was a heavy sleeper and wouldn’t wake up to use the bathroom. I didn’t put my son in...

water proof bed cover and then double up the sheets. That way if he has an accident he can take off the wet sheet and cover and clean sheets are...

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This group stresses keeping the issue under wraps to protect the boy’s feelings.

mcmurrml − That's OK but don't tell anyone, family included. No one's business.

0atmilk02 − By brothers regularly wet the bed until they were like 13. Some kids are just like that but seriously keep this to yourselves. The most damaging thing you...

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Edit: I now realize that the last part may have come off as a dig about you anonymously posting about this one here which was not my intention. I meant...

ExpressWallaby1153 − My brother was a bed wetter until much older than 6. He had a pad that went under the sheet and if it got wet on an alarm...

It was just a case he was sound asleep to wake up and wee. He grew out of it. Keep it very private.

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These comments bring a touch of humor to lighten the mood.

Tiggerriffic0710 − I did this with my child at about the same age, lots of protesting. I made my girl feel a bit better when we picked out her good...

Achilles_TroySlayer − If you can tell him about the tooth fairy and Santa Claus, you can tell him this one also.

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These responses dig deeper, offering balanced perspectives.

femsci-nerd − Sometimes parents need to tell little white lies to kids because the child lacks the ability to understand all the nuances. You did well. And you never have...

Background_Raccoon87 − Did you try telling him the doctor said he should wear them before you pretended to have the phone call? You technically didn't lie about that part,

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and I wonder if you could have gotten to the same conclusion without pretending to call the doctor. Either way, you are not wrong. This is necessary for now to...

You can't take care of him or yourself if you're exhausted. It sucks that you kinda had to trick him into it, but sometimes you just have to because they...

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I'm glad to hear he is healthy, but this could also be the result of psychological or emotional distress. If there are any chronic stressors, a traumatic event, disruption to...

If you have a counselor accessible to you, it might be worth having a chat to see if maybe there is something else going on. But it could also be...

Just give him a bit more time and continue to give him all that wonderful love and support! I think you are doing a wonderful job, don't feel bad about...

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Maleficent_Might5448 − I wet the bed until I was 14, and my sister did as well. We were both very sound sleepers. The pullups are NOT diapers, make sure he...

From practical tips to heartfelt encouragement, the online community shows this mom she’s not alone in navigating this tricky parenting moment.

Parenting is a tough road, especially when balancing a child’s pride with practical needs. A small fib can sometimes pave the way, but love and patience are the real MVPs.

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Have you ever told a “harmless lie” to help a child through a tough moment? Share your story below!

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