Mothering Toddlers: A daunting and disgusting task.

[Super_Kitten]

Hello fellow mothers of toddlers and used to be toddlers.

I have a daughter that is almost 21 months and she likes to play with her poop. I know this isn't an uncommon thing in toddler land and I am not really worried about it, I just find it extremely annoying and disgusting. I hate cleaning finger paintings poo style off the walls and crib (and her face) and was wondering if there is any way, other than keeping her in one piece outfits, to deter her from doing so.

Thanks!

SK

[Gwen]

none of mine went through that phase so i don't have any advise for you. but welcome to the site. onesies are great for modifying a lot of behaviors though.

[Wingnut]

I have an almost 21 month old daughter, and while she doesn't necessarily play with her poop, she has decided that she likes to take her pants off and then her diaper. I started putting her diaper on her backwards whenever she's wearing pants that she can get off easily. Friends have told me that duct tape comes next. So far the backwards thing is working -- it's been a little over a week.

[annamaureen]

On several occasions, I've heard of parents that duct-tape the diaper!

[Super_Kitten]

Onsies don't really help. If she can't go down the back she will just go in the sides.

[Elphaba]

And I complained because my puppy still likes his poop! At least he never gets it on the walls!

I got nothin' for you, except endless empathy.

Elph

[lydlou]

Overalls.

[hordak]

none of mine went through that phase so i don't have any advise for you. but welcome to the site. onesies are great for modifying a lot of behaviors though.

I wonder if that's why mine never went through it, i never used anything but onesies .

[hordak]

Give her play-doh? Maybe it will satisfy her? Like how you give a binkie to keep a baby from putting everything else in their mouth.

[Gwen]

is it the texture of it she likes or just curiosity about her bodily functions? the poo on the walls is it "artwork" or just a means of getting it off the fingers after the fact? if it's texture or artwork the play-doh idea may work great, or some very large sheets of paper and finger paints. yes very messy but not worse than poo everywhere. if it's her body then maybe start very casually potty training? take her to the bathroom with you, tell her what you are doing, show her what to do. ok so don't tell anyone if you do, ppl are stupid and someone will call child services. lol but you get the idea i think. let her flush the potty, explain what we do with our potty. let her sit on a potty seat (don't push or force, she is still young for it). but if she can see herself sit on the potty and go it might end some of the fascination.

i have a daughter about the same age. taking her diapers off has been her game. and writing on herself with markers or pens.

wing, this is #5 for me, how come i never considered putting the diaper on backward? lol

[NeuroTypical]

Just remember the stories, and threaten to tell them to the guys she brings home at 16. It won't alter her behavior right now, but it will make you feel a little better.

Overheard in the LM house a year or two ago: "Do NOT pee on your sister!!!"

LM

[Wingnut]

iwing, this is #5 for me, how come i never considered putting the diaper on backward? lol

I probably wouldn't have thought of it, except that I left her with some friends once don't have kids of their own yet (they were visiting from out of town and I had a visiting teaching appointment, so it was convenient for them to babysit). they changed her diaper once while I was out, and the next time I had to change her, she had it her diaper on backwards. They hadn't even known, I don't think. But a few weeks later the stripping started, so I thought I'd try putting the tabs behind her (pardon the pun). It's working so far, but the fit isn't quite the same.

[Super_Kitten]

I probably wouldn't have thought of it, except that I left her with some friends once don't have kids of their own yet (they were visiting from out of town and I had a visiting teaching appointment, so it was convenient for them to babysit). they changed her diaper once while I was out, and the next time I had to change her, she had it her diaper on backwards. They hadn't even known, I don't think. But a few weeks later the stripping started, so I thought I'd try putting the tabs behind her (pardon the pun). It's working so far, but the fit isn't quite the same.

We have switched to the pampers easy ups witch are more like pull ups and don't have tabs but still work as well as diapers. Mine likes to take her pants off too and when she started taking them off in the middle of the night a long with the diaper thats when we switched. She can't get them off so far. (knock on wood)

[RachelleDrew]

My house is small enough that he isn't out of my sight long enough to do it. Thank god. I would probably have a fit.

Mine right now has an adept ability to break into every childproof cabinet in my house. He's figured out how to break the childproof locks so I've had to move all my cleaners to the top of the fridge. Of course it looks terrible, but I can't have him drinking the stuff. He also climbs the baby gates quite easily. He's 20 months old. I think I may lose my hair before 21 months.

I never understood why people thought newborns were hard. That's the easiest part of parenting! They just lay there. It's when they become mobile that I start to get a little stressed out.

[Wingnut]

I never understood why people thought newborns were hard. That's the easiest part of parenting! They just lay there. It's when they become mobile that I start to get a little stressed out.

The Relief Society should really bring in meals at the kid's first birthday.

[Gwen]

lol i don't believe in child proof anything. i think it just improves their problem solving skills. i think 20 months is when the terrible 2's start.

i would share some of our adventures but when you list them all together it sounds worse than it is. lol

[Dravin]

It isn't advice, but it reminds me of this: http://www.lds.net/forums/general-discussion/19687-mothers-love.html#post348790

[beefche]

dravin, your tactic worked. You will never watch any children of mine.

[Elgama]

ugh terrible 2s have never happened at 2 for me - Ellie started at 9 months, Gabe was 3, and Isaac is 8 months and already pulling the phone off the wall, climbing over the table, so far no tantrums but he more laid back than the other 2.

Anyway have you considered cloth tie on nappies (diapers)? I would suggest potty training, but that is the point mine did start wiping it everywhere not sure why after a poo the bathroom has to look like WW3.

Other thing might be as she is 21 months chances are she understands what you are saying, I know by that point my older 2 understood most things be worth getting her to clean it up herself - and telling her 'I do not like it when you do that it makes Mummy feel blah'

[Dravin]

dravin, your tactic worked. You will never watch any children of mine.

That stings Beechef, that stings.

[FairChild]

Overhauls and zip up sleepers. Put the sleepers on backwards if you have to. You may need a bigger size to do that. Duct tape works. If you are putting diapers on backwards for a little girl, try using the boy's kind since the padding is the opposite of a girls. Prayer. Lots of paper towels and spray on cleaner. More than just it being poop, it contains E. Coli and that is a nasty critter to get. It can make you really sick.

[Wingnut]

I've never heard of boy diapers or girl diapers.

[jensmom8675]

'm a parent of 3 kids. My twins would take off their diapers. I tried all kinds of ways to stop the behavior but it didn't work. A friend told me about a garment that they could not get out of. I gave it a try and IT WORKED! You may want to try it. It's called the Little Keeper Sleeper. You can get it from their website www.littlekeepersleeper.com. Hopefully it will work for you.

[unixknight]

'm a parent of 3 kids. My twins would take off their diapers. I tried all kinds of ways to stop the behavior but it didn't work. A friend told me about a garment that they could not get out of. I gave it a try and IT WORKED! You may want to try it. It's called the Little Keeper Sleeper. You can get it from their website www.littlekeepersleeper.com. Hopefully it will work for you.

We recently started using one of these with our 21 month old daughter. They work great. She's figured out how to get out of the sleepers with the zipper in the front, and yes, we have her in the pull-up diapers and still she removes them sometimes.

On the upside, she generally only takes the diaper off when she fills it in the middle of the night, which means she's uncomfortable and that's a sign she's ready for potty training. On the downside, the artwork on the wall is not cool.

I understand that at this age it's 'a common behavior and nothing to worry about, but it does freak me out a little because of my 4 kids, she's the only one to do it so I've never dealt with it before.

I do have a confession though... When it first started I was the only one to deal with it because my wife works nights and I was the one scrubbing the wall. The week before last though, it finally happened when mommy was the one on duty (pardon the pun) and has officially joined the club. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Gwen]

none of mine went through that phase so i don't have any advise for you. but welcome to the site. onesies are great for modifying a lot of behaviors though.

yall suck. i should have never joined in this conversation. lol i've been jinxed. twice this week my little one has gone poo and then stuck her hand down her diaper. then she comes to show me what she found so she can get it cleaned off. ugh