November Is Bladder Health Awareness Month: Educating Children, Families, And Communities

Every year, we see campaigns raising awareness about breast cancer, leukemia, and other health conditions. But how often do we hear people talking about bladder health? Most people rarely think about the bladder. We use the bathroom when we need to and often take for granted just how much coordination it takes for our bladder to function properly.

Yet bladder health plays an important role in everyday life, beginning in childhood. Children should learn how their bladder works, recognize its signals, and develop habits that support healthy function. Unfortunately, these conversations typically don’t happen until a child begins experiencing problems.

November is Bladder Health Awareness Month, allowing pediatric pelvic floor therapists an opportunity to change that. We can help bring bladder health into conversations with children, parents, teachers, and other healthcare professionals so that understanding the bladder becomes a normal part of understanding overall health.

Meet Leslie, an 8-year-old girl referred to pediatric pelvic floor therapy for urinary urgency and frequent daytime leaking. Her parents explain that she often waits until the last possible moment to use the bathroom and sometimes doesn’t recognize she needs to urinate until the urge becomes overwhelming. At school, she frequently experiences leaking before she can make it to the bathroom.

During the evaluation, the therapist learns that Leslie typically urinates only three or four times throughout the day. She avoids using the school bathrooms because she doesn’t like how crowded and dirty they feel. She also experiences constipation, with bowel movements every two to three days that are often hard and difficult to pass.

The therapist was sure to obtain consent and assent, and checked in with Leslie throughout the entire session. As to be expected, Leslie has never been taught how her bladder works or why responding to its signals is important. Her parents know she should use the bathroom regularly, but they don’t understand the relationship between bladder habits, bowel function, and urinary symptoms. The therapist was able to weave in education about names of body parts to promote safety, and also told Leslie the “rules of her room” concerning safe care before every session, which is imperative in the work we do with children as pediatric pelvic health therapists.

Leslie’s case highlights an important gap in health education. We often don’t talk about the bladder until something goes wrong. By then, children may have already developed habits that contribute to dysfunction, and families may not recognize which everyday behaviors could be affecting their child’s bladder health.

Children learn about nutrition, dental hygiene, physical activity, and other aspects of health from an early age. But how often do we intentionally teach them about bladder health? Most children aren’t familiar with how their bladder stores urine, communicates with the brain, or coordinates with the pelvic floor to allow comfortable urination.

For Leslie, education starts with helping her understand what’s happening inside her body. The therapist explains how the bladder gradually fills with urine and sends signals to the brain as it gets fuller. Leslie learns that these signals are important and that regularly ignoring them isn’t a healthy long-term habit.

These conversations don’t need to be complicated. Age-appropriate explanations and simple visuals can help children understand what’s happening inside their bodies. More importantly, we want children to feel comfortable talking about their bathroom habits without embarrassment or shame.

We also have an opportunity to help children understand that bladder health involves more than simply making it to the bathroom on time. Recognizing bladder signals, drinking enough water, and allowing time to use the bathroom are all part of developing healthy habits. When children understand the why behind these recommendations, they become active participants in caring for their own bodies.

Parents are often the first to recognize changes in their child’s bathroom habits, but they may not always know which habits support healthy bladder function. In Leslie’s case, her parents have been reminding her to use the bathroom without understanding the significance of her limited voiding frequency or her tendency to postpone urination.

The therapist discusses the importance of regular voiding, adequate hydration, and addressing constipation as part of Leslie’s bladder management plan. Her parents learn how these everyday habits can influence bladder function and support her progress.

Just as importantly, the therapist helps Leslie’s parents understand how to encourage healthy habits without creating stress or embarrassment. Rather than repeatedly reminding Leslie to go, they begin helping her establish a consistent routine and recognize her own bladder signals. This shift gives Leslie more ownership of her bladder health.

Parent education also means helping families recognize when symptoms deserve further attention. Frequent urinary leaking or urgency, painful urination, and changes in voiding patterns shouldn’t simply be dismissed as something children will outgrow. Helping parents recognize these signs can encourage earlier conversations with healthcare providers and appropriate intervention.

Children spend a significant portion of their day at school, making teachers and school staff important partners in supporting healthy bladder habits. Unfortunately, some children avoid using school bathrooms because they feel uncomfortable asking for permission or don’t want to miss classroom activities.

Leslie’s therapist recognizes that her school environment is contributing to her tendency to postpone urination. With guidance from the therapist, Leslie’s parents communicate practical recommendations to her teacher, including allowing reasonable bathroom access and providing opportunities for scheduled bathroom visits throughout the school day.

Teachers can also benefit from understanding that urinary symptoms are not behavioral problems or something children can always control. A child who experiences urgency or urinary leaking needs support, not punishment or criticism. Creating an environment where children feel comfortable responding to their body’s needs can make a meaningful difference.

This is also an opportunity for therapists to advocate for broader bladder health education in schools. Simple conversations about hydration, bathroom habits, and listening to the body’s signals can help normalize these topics for all children, not just those experiencing dysfunction.

Bladder Health Awareness Month is a reminder that our role as pediatric pelvic floor therapists extends beyond treating the children who come into our clinics. We have an opportunity to influence how families and communities understand bladder health.

We can help parents feel more comfortable discussing urinary symptoms, encourage teachers to support healthy bathroom habits, and educate other healthcare professionals about recognizing signs of bladder dysfunction. We can also help reduce the stigma surrounding urinary leaking and other bladder-related concerns by making these conversations feel normal rather than embarrassing.

This November, let’s make bladder health a conversation worth having.

Are you looking to expand your knowledge and bring new insights into your pediatric pelvic health practice? Join us for the Pediatric Pelvic Health Summit on November 8, 2026! The summit includes lectures about utilizing e-stim, safe treatment room rules, assent and consent, neurodiversity considerations in bowel and bladder care, fiber management, psychosocial considerations, medically complex patients, and much more!

Connect with other professionals, learn from experienced presenters, and explore topics that can help you continue growing as a pediatric pelvic health clinician.

Can’t attend live? No problem! All registered attendees will have access to the recording, so you can still enjoy the educational content on your own schedule.

I hope you’ll join us!