Santa Chuckle

I saw a great 9 year old boy last week for treatment for bedwetting. He looked me in the eye and leaned forward on his chair as I explained how his bedwetting alarm would work. He listened to the sound and felt the alarm's vibration with his hand. As I was finishing up his visit, I noticed a look of questioning with his head tilted and eyes raised. I asked, "Do you have any questions? He responded in a very serious tone.

"I'm worried that my alarm will be going off and it will scare Santa. If he's scared, he might not drop off my toys and just take them away with him.

I tried to respond with equal seriousness, but it was everything I could do to keep my chuckles to myself. His parents didn't say a word. I reassuringly told him, Bedwetting alarms do not scare Santa. He has heard other boys' and girls' bedwetting alarms on his past trips and no one has ever reported to me that they did not receive their presents. Many kids are so excited on Christmas eve that they don't sleep very well and their alarms don't even sound. A look of relief came over his face as he exited my office, his alarm in hand.

Note to myself: I can never predict what obstacles a child might be worried about. Things that adults might consider to be a challenge may not even be a concern to a child. Always ask about questions and concerns, and then answer them as honestly as possible.