My husband and I are at our wits end!!! Our charming 2 year old, for the past couple of weeks now, has been creating masterpieces on the walls after he has done his business in his diaper :( Just when we think we have thought of everything to avoid this, he strikes again. We've gone as far as putting tape around his diaper lol AND we have recently discovered that he will do this anywhere in the house, not just in his room :( He is not quite yet ready for potty training... we plan on starting that full force once we have moved to Texas (this August). I recently got a suggestion to buy drawstring pants, but with summer weather I don't know how long this idea will last. PLEASE we are in DIRE need of any other suggestions that have worked for you mamas... HELP!!!
So, first thank you for all of the responses!!! We liked the idea of clothes backwards and a cool bath whenever he got his business on himself. We put close fitted pajama pants on under his rompers that are shorts. He tries to figure out the buttons, but no success... yet. We are in full force potty training now. I wanted to wait, but all of the signs were there (it's our first rodeo potting training). After he poops, we put it in the toilet and let him flush it. He LOVES it!!! Plus he gets a gummy bear for doing it :) This morning he laid down next to his daddy, after he had pooped, for his diaper to be changed. Getting pull-ups next shopping trip :) I'm not holding my breath, but my husband and I are shocked at how quick his behavior changed in one day... HUGE sigh of relief!!! Thank you so much mamas
A friend I know relied on onsies, vigalent watching, putting undies over the diaper and duct tape over the diaper tabs.
Might sound dumb, but have you tried putting him in a large onsie? This usually works for kids that I have known, because they usually dont mess with the buttons to get the shirt off.
Good luck!
No--you're in DIRE need! LOL
Seriously, have you talked to your pediatrician about this? Sometimes that's a sign of something else going on.
put him in overalls without snaps and put them on backwards.
Hey, just found this really cool pajama purposely made w/ the zipper in the back for that very reason!
http://www.littlekeepersleeper.com/store/Default.asp
Hope it helps!! =o)
I have not had this problem in seriousness, but my daughter when she was 18 months or so did that a couple of times, I read that cold showers have helped other mothers so I did that. She didn't care too much because we take showers anyway, and I did not do it at a horridly cold temperature. But anyway, she didn't do it again and now she is 20 months and she is potty trained :)
Also we we discovered use cloth diapers and she doesn't bother with the snaps (she still uses them to sleep) but she used to remove disposables.
Are they doing it during naptime, at bedtime, or during the midst of the day? If its bedtime the thing that worked for me were those zippered pj's but it was during the wintertime-don't they make summertime pj's that zip up??! I can't remember its been too long. Anyways I would turn it around the other way that way they couldn't unzip it from the back-haha! I had twins though so it wasn't long before they figured out they could have sissy unzip them and go to town-eventually it just stopped luckily for me it didn't last very long at all. Do they get the poop all over them or just on other places? If it's on them I would stick them in the tub each time and just reineterating that its nasty or gross and no no. Sounds like they "might" be ready for potty training but ....then again who knows! lol! Sorry just realized I keep referring to "they" force of habit since I have two-lol!
I would start toilet training. I'm not sure why you would think he is not ready?
In addition to the other suggestions, try giving your child fingerpaints to use. He'll probably prefer them. Don't give him too big a reaction to the poop painting, because he may be trying to get more of your attention. But at least a couple of times a day, offer him the cleaner, more colorful alternative.
It's a good idea NOT to offer the finger paints when you discover his poop paintings, but at a separate time. Otherwise he may interpret that as a reward for the yucky efforts. Good luck!
Carter's Onesies run large, I have my 21 month old and 3 yr old in them at night! My 21 month old has his hands down his pants 24-7 if he's not in a onesie! A summer sleep sack (Aden n Anias makes a really thin one and the large is really large) on backwards! If its during the day a onesie should suffice, hard for diaper changes, but beats cleaning up poo! GL
Just have him wear onesies. Also, 2 is too early for most kids to potty train. You are much better off waiting until he shows clear signs of being ready. That will make the process a whole lot quicker and more pleasant for all of you.
Though my kids never used it to make masterpieces, I feel your pain. What we used to do was duct tape and then a sleeper backward. Just cut the feet part off and zip it up!! Works wonders since they can't reach their little fingers/arms that far back. And since summer is coming up, just cut the arms and legs to make it cooler. People told us to try onesies, but kids can figure out buttons, zippered sleepers work best!
Good luck!!
Duct tape.
;)
I assume, he is digging into his diaper, then smearing?
Or is he taking the diaper off, then smearing it?
try putting him in a zip up thing, and putting it on backwards.
I would go the "teach him not to do it" route rather than the "make it impossible route" just because at 2, there is no reason he should think it's OK to do this. Use a firm warning if you see him try it, then firm discipline if he does it with a clear tone of voice pointing to the mess so he knows what you're talking about, then a firm warning if you see him try to do it again and discipline again the next time he does it should nip it. We taught our kids not to reach into their poopy diapers this way after one try a piece. Since we were consistent with "no" for other things, they totally got it and didn't push it.
Have you tried putting the diaper on backwards? How about a cloth diaper? The snaps can be a deterent for some kids.
I'm actually dealing with a almost 27 month old who wants to take his pants and diapers off, but he's not created any masterpieces, thank God!
What I do is put onesies on him, (I found some by Gerber in size 24 months and they fit, Gymboree sells them in up to 3T) and if it's cooler his cotton denim overalls and shortalls put on backwards. For bedtime an all-in-one pajama, backwards. And I've duct taped the diapers as well, wrapping the tape once around his waist and ending it in back so it's hard for him to undo. We're at the beginning of potty training which I think is what started his fascination with removing his pants and diapers, but he knows that poop goes in the potty (or in his diaper if he doesn't make it) so if he makes a mess he will be getting a time-out.
You could teach your son the only place his poop belongs for now IS his diaper, show him your extreme disappointment when he makes a mess and you have to clean it up, and if you've begun implementing consequences that would be the time.
Give him a rag with vineager in water and make him clean it up. He won't do a perfect job but he will get the end of his artistic endeavors as work. Then get butcher paper on put it on the walls.
My children liked to crayon the walls. I made them clean it up. After that I put butcher paper on all the lower walls so that it was their artwork. They drew on the walls without wrecking the paint. When they didn't like the art anymore or liked it alot the paper was replaced. Liked alot went on their walls.
I'm sorry - I've NEVER had this happen to me...
I read a post the other day from a W. who had a 5 year old doing this...at the age of 5 - my suggestion would be to make them clean up their mess...I guess he needs to be made to clean up after himself?
I like the idea of putting overalls on him backwards!! :)
Sorry I can't help you further..
