HELP!! Toddler Keeps Putting Her Hand in Diaper!

is she ready to potty train? my son went thru a similar phase but he was younger. i put him in one piece PJ's for both nap and nighttime. If he did it when we were awake I didn't make a big deal about it. I just told him no, we don't touch poopies it's dirty and yucky and cleaned him. I didn't yell at him for it. At that age they are exploring - gross or not. If she isn't ready for potty training yet I'd just keep a close eye on her. it will pass.

She is two, can she understand the concept yet that she can get sick from touching her poopie. Tell her, poopie is yucky and needs to go in the toilet. Then take her to the potty and sit her on the potty. I would also show her you flushing poo down the toilet. Say bye bye poo poo. And dance and sing/ Poopoo in the potty poopoo in the potty, not on your hands. Or something. Make it fun. Some kids are ready to potty train at 18 months. Have you started yet? Bye her a small potty. She might be ready.

Two ideas:

Have you tried giving her something to handle, manipulate, touch when she wakes up? She may have a sensory-integration issue that gives her a stronger-than-usual "need" to explore certain kinds of touch and texture. There might be ways to give her enough of that stimulation to distract her until you get to her for a diaper change. One of those squishy, super-stretchy, rubbery balls or toys (we have a version that's shaped like a big slug – ewww – but some kids I've worked with have loved it), fascinating pokeable "bean bag" type toys or pillows, a blanket with a plushy or silky surface, etc. She might be excited about helping to pick out something she loves to touch in trade for the poop-squishing.

Also, if she still fits in a "onsie" type jammie, I've seen moms suggest putting those on with the zipper in the back so she can't get into her diaper.

Good luck!

I dont have any advice except to avoid the cold showers. That almost sounds abusive to me.

She's old enough to understand that poop is gross and that she can get sick from it. Explain it to her and make her help you clean it up.

not sure what the cold shower idea is but if it's putting her in a cold shower after she's done it that sounds abusive.

time to potty train.

Put her in one piece jammies backwards, so she can't access her diaper. Don't calmly explain to her why she shouldn't play with her poop, let her see your disgust on your face and hear it in your voice when you tell her how gross it it. Tell her firmly NO. You're not going to scar her by raising your voice and letting her know that it is absolutely not alright for her to play with her poop.

I agree with Missy. I had a couple munchkins do that here in my daycare and I have done exactly what Missy said you should try. :)

I have no idea what you meant by cold shower.
If this was recommended by a book,
please do not try anything else that is recommended in this book.
If this was recommended by a person,
the person is probably not a good resource for parenting advice.
Anything Peg M. says, below, is usually the best advice you can get.
Before trying a method, you might want to give some thought to how that method might feel to a young child. Is it likely to help her remember what you expect? Or is it more likely to traumatize or frighten her?
S.

My then almost 2 yr old once took off her poop diaper and finger painted all over her walls and crib with it. I was so grossed out and honestly angry too. I told her how gross it was and made her watch me clean it up and then put her in the bath. I didn't yell at her or say anything that would say mommy doesn't love you. I did tell her pretty much the entire time how gross it was to clean up, how it could make her sick if it got in her mouth, and how disappointed I was that she chose to do it. It didn't scar her or anything but she got it and still tells me that poop in the mouth can make her sick and it is yucky. Sometimes kids need to be alarmed when they continue behavior that they can hurt themselves with. Also, we potty trained at 2. The weeks after that happened she started watching potty time videos and we pulled out the potty chair for her to explore. Then the next month we went and bought big girl panties and picked out what treat she would get when she turned 2 and into a big girl. We also planned that she would get to call all her favorite people and tell them about her turning big potty girl. The weekend before her 2nd bithday we potty trained and one day and have been diaper free since. Our trick in potty training was to make it a milestone in her head too. She got to pick her own panties, treat, and we gave her time to process that this would happen and that it was something that was normal and expected. Best of luck to you.