2 1/2 Year Old Smearing Poop

Although this is disgusting, it is perfectly normal toddler behavior and playing with poop is an outlet for his "creativity" and ability to manipulate some media. You can try playdough and give him some time each day to use finger paints or paint with pudding on a tray, anything that allows him to manipulate a sensory item other than poo. Every day he doesn't do this with poop, he could be rewarded with finger paint or play dough time.

Good Luck,

H.

I don't know specifically how to get him to "stop", but I have a way to maybe prevent it. My daughter when she was about 22 months or so, started waking up from her nap and taking off her diaper too. Sometimes it was poopy sometimes not. Sometimes it was at the beginning of her nap. Either way there was usually a mess to clean up when I went to get her up, because she would at least pee while napping. So I have taken to putting her in onesies while sleeping. This way she can not get her diaper off and I don't have to worry about it. It does create some more laundry on days she wouldn't have taken her diaper off, but I would rather have that then the mess to clean up! Hope this helps.

With little ones, we may not be able to use discipline to control their behaviors, so we have to fall back on making the experience inaccessible. My suggestion: get a pair of lighter-weight inexpensive zipper pajamas; an old, slightly too small pair is fine, too, but the whole zipper thing is the key to this. Cut off the arms and the legs to be a tee-shirt/ long shorts style, then put them on him at naptime BACKWARDS. That's right...zipper in the back. This way, he can't undress himself enough to get the poop out. I'd also be sure the leave the legs long enough to be a deterrent, so he can't reach up them. This has worked for a few people I know, hope it helps you.

If he is curious about his poop, you can bring him into the bathroom with you after changing his diaper and shake it out into the toilet. This would be an acceptable way for him to "explore" without making a huge mess. I'd also introduce fingerpaints as an alternative...this might be the tactile experience he's craving! This redirection is more effective than punishment as he will get little attention for the negative (any sort of attention is its own reward) and helps to guide him toward more desired actions.

Before you get upset with him, listen to what he is telling you. Is he learning to undress himself? Is he curious what that stuff is in his pants? Is he trying to get it out because it's uncomfortable? Think about it - he tries to get it out and then it gets on his hands, so he tries to wipe it off, and before you know it, there is a huge mess and he calls you for help. :) These are all signs that he is ready to potty train. Teach him to put his poop in the potty.

Is he bored? If so, give him some better options for quiet activities before and after nap, like books or a soft toy.

Is he proud of his creations? Then give him something more appropriate for creating, like fingerpaints or playdough. Here's an old preschool trick - cheap men's shaving cream makes a great temporary fingerpaint. It cleans up with water, is safe for skin, and is a fun outside activity for warm days (to minimize mess.) Just spray it directly onto any smooth, easy-clean surface, like a plastic tabletop, a glass patio tabletop, or a tile countertop. If all you have is nice wood furniture, cover it with an inexpensive vinyl tablecloth. He can get the shaving cream all over his body, if he desires, but keep it out of his eyes and mouth. Just hose him down when he's done and he'll be cleaner than when he started.

Many years from now, you will have yet another funny story to tell his future wife and kids. Enjoy these years!

yes, have him help clean it up. This helps alot.

You say hes not ready for potty training, but this is actually a sign that he is ready.I've helped train many kids (day care, and know this is a sign. Could it possibly be that you're not ready? I know that was my problem.Hard to admit but the truth. When my daughter started doing this we started potty training and she didn't do it since.

something that alot of kids miss at this age is sensory develoopment.try letting him play with play dough, gak, silly putty, paint, etc If you really hate the mess, you can get tub paonts (which rinse off easily, or take him outside and let him play with a bowl full of bird seed (which you can leave out for the birds.

I've seen the suggestion to keep your little guy dressed in a onsie if they still fit, or a zippered pajama put on backward (with the feet cut off, if necessary). Since it's so hot, maybe just put his diaper on backward if he's taking it off to get to the poop.

Some moms responded to an earlier inquiry about this problem that the behavior started when a new baby arrived. It is certainly an effective way to get a parent's attention. If you suspect he's feeling left out, you might try some focused one-on-one time to reassure him.

For other advice, here's the link you were looking for:
http://www.mamasource.com/request/13352618741293121537/53...

My daughter did this one time. I made her clean up the mess. I gave her wipes and watched while she wiped up as best she could. She never did this again. Kids don't like having to clean up the mess they make, and with wipes it's easy for them to clean it up with out chemicals near them.

Heh, my daughter does this too. It is one of the reasons i'm working on potty training her. She is *mostly* trained, better for poop than pee. She seems to do it because she knows she has poop in her pants, and i think she is actually trying to help by putting it away, but she is inept. She used to take off her diaper out of boredom, but, right now i think it is more trying to get the dirty diaper off.

Anyway, we try to get her to poop in the potty at other times, so she doesn't at nap time. Then, at nap time, she wears an old pair of jammies with the feet cut off and the zipper up the back. She can't get them off, and she can't get at the diaper to cause problems. This helps.

I'm also talking to her a lot about hygiene in general, and how we need to keep ourselves clean. I emphasize that pee and poop in her pants will make her bottom hurt, and can make her sick if she doesn't put them where they belong. I suppose that may not help with the goal of leaving the poop in the diaper, but, i'm really just trying to get her to the point where she'll self-motivate to use the potty.

Good luck.

(Oh, and, i keep chlorox bleach wipes in the house for clean up purposes - don't use 'em for much else, but i want something disinfecting here. Dirty hands and clothes get water as hot as they can tolerate to clean.)

I don't think think this is something you can discipline him for. You would need to be right there for. I think you need to clean it up with no emotion if you can. If you are put out an upset you are giving him negative attention which is something he may want. (sigh)

This is probably a phase, and if you can ignore it and make it go away the faster the better!!

During this hot weather let him run around diaper-less outside and feel how good it feels. Perhaps that will give him the idea of you know what...

Good luck, and if you feel like screaming, there is always the outdoors.

I put a pair of pj's on that zip up, cut out the feet and put it on backwards. they can't get unzipped and no poop comes out! hope that helps

Gross, isn't it? And it takes so long to clean up. Sorry you have to deal with this.

I never found a way to "break" my daughter of this habit so she always slept in a onsie, the kind goes down to the ankle. Then I would safety pin (diaper pin) the zipper from the inside of the onsie to keep her from getting her hand in the diaper. It worked til she learned to use the toilet.

Greetings K.,

#1 putting him in a "onesies" outfit that fastens up the back, would be a start.

I would start potty training now... he seems to be showing signs that he's ready.

maybe he needs a toy that has the same squishy texture .... like play dough. You can make your own... http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/activities/a/playdough.htm

Best of Luck~
C.

I feel your pain sister! My almost 2 year old daughter does the same thing! The best solution I've found so far is to put her in a onesie and overalls or zip up jammies for the times when she is prone to doing it. It sucks because it takes more time, but not as much time as cleaning up the mess. Good luck to you! I've noticed an improvement in mine since doing this for awhile, she seems to have lost interest now that she can't get to it.

Have you tried putting him in an outfit he cannot get out of for the naptime? If he can't reach into his diaper because of the restrictions of his clothes, he can't pull the poopy out.

If it is only during nap time that he does this, then it will be easiest to just prevent it and don't bother trying to fight this battle.

Put him down for his nap in something he can't get out of (or into)... like footie pajamas backward. Obviously you'll have to come up with something different while it is so hot out though. A one piece romper with only snaps at the neck in the back or snug enough that he can't get his arms out of.

like these... http://www.ruggedbear-online.com/infboy1pc.html

You may even be able to get away with a Onesie.

Ugh, I dealt with this with my now 4 year old. She would do this over and over until I finally started putting a 'belt' made of duct tape on her! She would decorate her room and all her toys....so gross!!! She really liked the belt and it kept the diaper on! I did everything else and nothing worked: making her clean up, time-outs, etc. but the 'belt' was the only thing that worked.
I wish you luck and lots of patience!

my son went through a similar thing after his sister was born. my kids are 23 months apart. it lasted about 2 months. he wasn't smearing it, he was taking his diaper off and throwing it. we put the diaper on backward which worked for awhile. then we put his jammies on backward which worked for a while. eventually he stopped when he stopped napping soon after her birth. it sounds like he doesn't like the poop in his diaper. you might try revisiting potty training. otherwise, talk to your pediatrician for suggestions. hang in there. it won't happen forever!