I've been reading a particularly intriguing chapter in my psychopathologies of childhood textbook. they're talking about bed-wetting, or, in the words of thomas phaer (c. 1544), pyssying in the bedde.


by age 10, only 2% of females and 3% of males regularly issueth out urine in theyre slepe, having no power to reteine it whan it cometh. I find that suprising. at camp, given a group of 15 or so cherubs, I found more often than not there was at least one bedwetter among them. by late adolescence, 1% are still affected. I find that suprising too, though for different reasons. there were about 1800 kids in my psy100 class. did 18 of them pyssy the bedde?


when a kid tells you she's had an accident, you have to be very careful with how you respond. gotta protect those delicate, 8-year-old self-esteems. for instance, when, at 5:00 in the morning, a little voice outside your tent says "sunshine? are you awake? sunshine? I wet my bed." responding with "there are four other counsellors in this tent. for the love of all that is holy, why me?" is inappropriate.


I have such fond memories of pre-dawn laundry. really, I do. I also have a fond memory of the time my little bother peed the bed when I was in it.


"geoffie, what's that wet spot?"
"it's sweat."
"why does it smell like pee?"


another bit of insight from this chapter:

a professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep
(props to mr. anonymous).