Frequently Asked Questions
1. At what age can I start PeeSpeaking with my baby?
PeeSpeak can be started at any age. You can PeeSpeak from birth, if you choose to. There are many babies who do. It is best to begin in the first 5 months of life. After a certain amount of time, a diapered baby will loose much of his awareness of elimination muscles. Each baby is different. A general rule of thumb is the sooner, the better. It is possible to start PeeSpeak after 5 months and there are many who do so. It may take a bit more patience, but it is certainly possible. It is never harmful to communicate with your child or to work towards increasing his body awareness.
2. At what age can I expect my baby to be potty trained?
Again, every baby is different. Some PeeSpeak babies are toilet independent before they reach their first birthday, some by the time they are 2 and some may take more time. It depends on many factors. Among these are your baby’s unique disposition and how committed you are to the practice. Babies as young as five or six months can be “toilet trained” with only an occasional accident, though they still depend on the caregiver for cueing and positioning on the potty. PeeSpeak is a dynamic practice. You may find your baby to be toilet independent for a short while and then start having accidents again. Since babies are younger when toilet training with PeeSpeak, it is important to be understanding and sensitive to setbacks. Look for the cause of the change. (See page 34 on setbacks and challenges.) Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter when your baby is “potty trained”. PeeSpeak is about giving your baby the tools and environment needed to cultivate essential body awareness. It teaches your child to communicate this awareness.
3. Do I have to keep my baby without diapers?
Many PeeSpeak babies wear diapers. Especially with newborns, using diapers can be a nice way to help prevent accidents. The difference between a PeeSpeak baby and a baby diapered in the conventional manner is that the PeeSpeak baby uses his diaper the same way adults use underwear. The baby learns that when the diaper is on it is not time for elimination. PeeSpeak babies will dirty much fewer diapers during a day (if any at all) than conventionally diapered babies. Of course, going diaper-free is a perfectly good option as well!
4. Can infants really become aware of their elimination muscles from birth?
Babies are aware of their elimination muscles from birth. This is evidenced by babies who wait until their diapers are off to pee or poop. If you diaper your baby in the conventional manner, he will lose most of his awareness of elimination muscles. With PeeSpeak, the parent helps to increase and further develop this awareness. The parent does this by tuning into baby’s needs. When it’s time for baby to go, the parent holds baby in the appropriate place and baby can relax and eliminate at will.
5. Does PeeSpeak force a child to potty train before they are ready?
There is no force, coercion, punishment or pressure with PeeSpeak. It is a loving and gentle practice meant to nurture your child. You child will become potty independent when he is ready. It may be sooner, it may be later. The point is to guide his awareness in this process until he is able to take responsibility for this basic need. Sit back and let your baby lead the way.
6. This sounds like a lot of work …
Changing 7000 dirty diapers over three years sounds like a lot of work! Parenting in general is a lot of work. Most PeeSpeak parents find the practice to be about as involved as diapering. Many believe it to be much easier. The difference is in the type of work. PeeSpeak is fun and extremely beneficial for your child. Plus, most PeeSpeak babies are toilet trained well before non-PeeSpeaking babies. They also have less chance of nighttime bedwetting later on because they have built a solid awareness of elimination muscles. So overall, you’re likely to be done with the whole toilet training process much sooner.
7. Do I have to practice PeeSpeak full time?
Absolutely not! In fact, most PeeSpeak babies don’t. You can practice it as much or as little as you like. However, it is important to have some consistency. Some babies only PeeSpeak first thing in the morning. Some only do during the daytime, others in the evening or at night. Some only practice at home. It’s up to you how you want to establish the practice. The more consistent you are and the more you practice, the more successful you will probably be. However, even if you are only catching one or two eliminations per day, you are still doing your part to maintain and increase your baby’s elimination muscle awareness. Your baby will very likely become toilet indepenent much earlier than the average baby and the transition will be much easier for you and your baby.
8. What if I don’t want to wake up at night to take my baby potty?
Then put an absorbent diaper on him and sleep! If he wakes you up during the night and you want to take him potty, go for it. Otherwise wait until the morning. You may find a dirty diaper or be surprised that baby is dry upon waking. Either way, offer a potty opportunity first thing in the morning. Not practicing at night will not confuse your baby or make it more difficult to PeeSpeak at other times during the day. With that said, the more consistent you are, the more consistent your baby is likely to be.
9. Should a lot of accidents be expected?
Just as with conventional potty training, you are likely to experience some (or many!) accidents. There will probably be more at first, until you learn your baby’s timing and signals. Even then an accident now and then can be expected. A little pee never ruined anything. If you’re really worried about it, use diapers.
10. Can others take my baby to the potty?
Of course! Anyone can take your baby potty, as long as they use the cuing sound. It is important to keep the cue consistent. Remember that the position, especially for younger babies still in arms, also works as a cue. Make sure than everyone who takes your baby potty is consistent in the position and the cue.
No. In an ideal world, all babies would live diaper-free. It’s the best option for them and the best for the environment. That being said, our modern world does not always easily lend itself to this. Many PeeSpeak babies use diapers part or even full-time. They use diapers as adults use underwear instead of using diapers as toilets like most babies. Whether or not you use diapers is completely up to you. It’s best to do what makes PeeSpeak easiest and most convenient for you and your family.
12.
Absolutely! Many parents of special needs children find that PeeSpeak is a wonderful way for them to interact and bond with their babies. Deaf parents or babies use gestures or other physical means of communicating about elimination. Many parents, both with and without special needs babies, use the American Sign Language symbol for toilet as their elimination cue. Some parents of deaf babies communicate by gently blowing on their baby’s head. If the parent is not very mobile, keeping an elimination receptacle nearby makes the practice easier.