You may remember Tamera Mowry-Housley from the hit television series Sister, Sister, where she starred alongside her identical twin sister Tia Mowry. Now, as an actor, host of the syndicated talk show The Real and the mother of two young kids, Tamera has a lot on her plate and knows the struggles and challenges that go along with being a parent.

Tamera is excited that she and her four-year-old son Aden just wrapped up a huge milestone together – potty training! But she was caught off guard when she realized Aden was still experiencing some wetness at night.

“With my son, I really didn’t know that there was a difference between daytime dryness and nighttime dryness,” said Tamera. “My son Aden, it took a little bit longer for him to be dry at night. I thought he was automatically going to be dry at night because he was dry during the day.”

That’s when Tamara found out that nighttime wetting is actually very normal, like snoring, glasses or braces. In fact, 1 in 6 kids experience nighttime wetting.

Most often it’s due to the fact that bladders are not fully developed and the nerves that control the bladder and brain are still maturing and forming connections. Because it’s simply a matter of a child like Aden’s physical development, it can take longer for many kids. It’s something that evolves naturally as they grow.

“…There’s something that happens to you as a parent when your child reaches a huge milestone in their life because usually there’s a lot of work to get to that point,” said Tamera. “And I’m just so happy that I have learned the information that I now know.”

“I’ve learned that I’m not alone. My child is not alone. And when you hear that, you just feel so much better. Your stress levels kinda just… You kinda just relax a little bit more. I’ve learned that nighttime dryness evolves as your child grows and it’s simply a matter of their physical development.

And a lot of parents don’t know that it’s normal and that their child is not alone. Everyone is going to get through it.

Aden is [now] dry at night, thank God.”

 

Like Tamera, parents shouldn’t be confused or frustrated if their child is experiencing nighttime wetting or any other parenting challenges that may arise along the way.

Tamera joined me to share more details of her personal experiences with her son Aden. As a mom, she understands there can be a lot of pressure to adhere to a specific timeline not only with milestones, but to also be what society sees as ‘the perfect parent’ and successfully balancing home and career life.

 

On Society’s pressures to be the perfect parent:

Tamera: I would just make sure that you’re just not so hard on yourself. There’s some judgement out there. You can hear people’s opinions from everywhere now with social media. But not only that, you may have in-laws giving you pressure. You may have your sister or your brother who have had kids, and they’re comparing their kids to your kids, and you may feel like you’re doing something wrong.

So what I would say is not to give in to that pressure and to focus more on the facts. Focus more on the fact that your child will in most cases, eventually grow out of this stage and it’s okay. You’re not alone. And don’t be so hard on yourself.

And don’t compare. Because I always say, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Even if you have other children, don’t compare your daughter to your son. Every child has their own experience and their own timeline. Don’t let other people’s timeline affect you and your child’s experience.

 

On keeping work/life balance with her husband Adam Housley:

Tamera: Yeah. Honestly we’re there for each other. My husband is a hands-on father, so when I may be exhausted and I’m not able to physically be there, he is. And vice versa. We make a great team. We even have non-verbal cues, like if he senses that I’m about to lose it, [laughter] he literally will tell me, “You know what Tamera, you go upstairs, take a nap, I’ve got the kids,” And I do the exact same thing with him, so not only is he my best friend, he is also my partner.

And I think sometimes some people think of marriage they only think of, you know, one thing like, “Oh I love this person and we’re gonna get married.” No you have to make sure that you guys are amazing partners at life. And when I was dating him, that’s one of the things that I looked out for. And yeah so he’s definitely… We’re there for each other. We make a great team.

On overcoming the ‘fear factor’ when visiting the pediatrician’s office:

Tamera: Don’t be afraid to just ask the questions. Ask the hard questions. Ask the questions that people aren’t talking about. You will realize more than ever that this is what pediatricians want you to do. This is why they’ve studied what they studied. This is the reason why they are here and then also ask your friends. Maybe be a part of a mommy group and ask other moms. I’m sure they will be willing to help you.

 

On taking parenting challenges in stride:

Tamera: Knowledge is power. As long as you open yourself up to being educated and learning more things from your support group, you will have better experiences and learn from them. And then move on, move on from there. I’m not worried at all [about what’s to come].

 

During our chat, Tamera also shared her unique tips and advice to help parents and children rest easy knowing their children are comfortable and protected.

 

Take a look at our discussion above, and for more information visit: goodnites.com.

Tamera Mowry

Meet Our Guest:

Tamera Mowry-Housley is a mother, actress, talk show host and entrepreneur. She entered the entertainment industry through her teen role on hit television series Sister, Sister, where she starred opposite her twin sister Tia. Currently, she co-hosts The Real, where she passionately comments on real things that are happening and real issues parents face every day. Tamera is married to Adam Housley, with whom she has two children, Aden (4 years old) and Ariah (2 years old).

Tamera Mowry