The Pee-stop Method: What Does It Consist Of?

The pee-stop method is a technique that aims to end nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting. It is a technique involving classical conditioning in which the child learns through a stimulus.

But we have to be very careful with this method. It can damage the self-esteem of the child. Potty training is a natural process and each child’s specific rhythm is something we must respect.

What is the pee-stop method?

The pee-stop method is a method that uses a smart alarm clock so that the child learns to control urination through conditioning. It is designed for children from 5 years old to teach them to stop peeing at night.

This method usually takes between 4 and 12 weeks. It ensures a success rate of 80 to 90%. You can also apply the method with a normal alarm clock to wake the child every two hours to pee. Or you can use a small box that attaches to the child’s pajamas with a switch and a humidity sensor on the end of a cable.

The moisture sensor is small and contains a kind of panty liner, which is attached to the child’s underwear. When the child starts to urinate and the first drop wets the sensor, the buzzer will sound. Because of this, the child will wake up quickly and with a shock. In some cases, this will stop urination.

Why is the pee-stop method not always a good option?

The first thing to keep in mind is that with this device, the child may feel that it is doing something wrong. They will think that peeing at night is a negative thing.

This can make them feel guilty and even hurt their self-esteem. However, it is completely normal for a child to urinate at night, even after the age of 7 years. That’s why you have to respect your child’s developmental rhythm.

Nocturnal enuresis can occur due to many factors. Think for example of emotional stress, diseases such as diabetes, a smaller bladder or even heredity. In these cases, relying on a device to try to stop urination at night is completely counterproductive. And this is especially true if there is a medical cause that requires treatment.

Pee-stopping method: a learning process that can be emotionally damaging

This learning is based on punishment and frustration because the child urinates involuntarily, with the result that it damages the child’s self-esteem. Learning can very well take place after many failures and many nighttime interruptions, but children need to be able to sleep. Moreover, it is not a natural learning process, which can make the child very frustrated.

It is important to strengthen the child’s autonomy and make them urinate before going to bed and as soon as they wake up. Even if the child has to wear a diaper at night, you should never scold him.

In that sense, when the child wakes up with a dry diaper for several weeks in a row, you can encourage them to rely on their own toilet training. In this way you strengthen their self-esteem and they know that they are the protagonist of the change and of their evolution.

Is there anything good about this method?

Although, as we said, this method has many drawbacks, we cannot deny that there is also some benefit to using it only for a short period of time.

For example, parents can know what times their child usually urinates at night and write it down. This way, they can lovingly wake their little one up to go to the bathroom at those times and then gradually spread out those times until they can go through the night without peeing.

But this is a very small benefit because it interrupts your and your child’s sleep. Plus, you’re undermining your little one’s self-esteem. They will think that they are incapable of doing things alone.

Parents should be aware that this process depends on their physiological maturation and not on their ability to control. Only in this way will parents be able to better understand their children and not blame them for peeing in bed or in their pants.

Help your child control nocturnal enuresis

Of course, as a parent, you have the opportunity to help your child control nighttime urination without having to follow the pee-stop method. The first thing to keep in mind is to boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence. You can do this, for example, by means of children’s stories in which urination at night is normalized. That way you can find solutions through motivation and not through punishment.

Your child will need you throughout his life to overcome different stages, and this is one of them. As they get older, you may need to help them with other things, such as making friends or preparing a speech for the whole school. It is important that they feel that you are by their side, with unconditional love and support, not punishment.