My son is two and lately has become fascinated with "fingerpainting" with his poo. When he's awake and up, I change his diaper immediately so we don't have an issue, but if he has a BM during the night or at naptime, I usually go in to find he's fingerpainted all over his crib. He's not quite ready to potty train, plus I think I'd still have the same issue since he only does this in his crib. He doesn't actually take his diaper off to access his "paint" so I'm at a loss as to what to do. Please help! I'm having to strip his crib down and wash everything about every other day!!!
Thank you everyone for your helpful comments!! My son knows this is wrong and helps me clean it up every time, but that alone wasn't enough to stop him from doing it when I wasn't in the room (for those that this works with, you are extremely lucky! I don't know many two year olds that will listen to parents when they aren't in the room). I ended up getting lightweight footed PJs that snap at the top. So far, he hasn't taken them off (he can still get into his diaper with the PJs that snap around the waist). I also got a Big Kids Sleep Sack but even the smallest size (2T) is gigantic on him. He hates wearing that but it's so much more convenient to put that on over his clothes for naps. I may make him one that fits a little better when I have some time but for now that will have to do. Thanks again everyone!
My son did that only once or twice because I would make him help me clean it up. I think he soon realized it was more trouble than it was worth. I don't think two is too early to teach consequences of making a mess. Fun, fun, fun... I don't miss those days :-) Good luck!
We have much in common! I had 4 kids in 4 years with the twins being the youngest. I have added another baby now. Anyway, we also have the poo painting in common! I started putting my twins in zip up jammies with the feet cut off backwars so they couldn't unzip it. You could wear them forward too if you pin the zipper at the top. Good luck!
OK, I will probably be in the minority but if you've told him no very firmly and he still does it, I'd be spanking the top of his hand hard enough to make it hurt. That way, he learns there is a punishment/consequence for disobeying you. Again, just me, if you're not a spanking kind of person then I'm sure all the other mamas will have good advice, too.
I Highly Recommended you try the Little Keeper Sleeper to solve this problem of poop play. These pajamas sleepwear works GREAT. Their locking system and non-stretchable made sure my little Houdini could not get out and the long zipper in the back made changing a snap. This sleeper is a sanity saver. I got it from their website www.littlekeepersleeper.com
Have him sleep in a onsie with feet. If he knows how to unzip, then have have him sleep in a onsie with snaps.
I am sorry I have no words of advise only a emapathetic shoulder. My almost 8 year old daughter did the same thing when she was that age. Luckily it only lasts a few months.
As hard as it is to hear, it might be time to take him out of the crib so when he wakes up, he can play with his toys instead of his "paint" To help, we always put a door lock on the inside of the of the door knob when we took the kids out of the crib so they could not get out of their room.
Best of luck and thanks for the "fond" memories :)
P.
One piece pjs and possibly one piece sleep sack with legs over the top. You may have to put one or both on backward to discourage them from being unzipped.
Holy moly. My mom told me that my brother used to do the same thing! maybe put him in some pjs that he cant get into? like those feet pjs, or the ones that snap at the waist?
I know this doesnt help you, but I am SO GLAD that my son isnt the only one who did that!! Everyone I had talked to never experienced anything like that before!! I tried everything with him. We put a belt on his pants during nap time so he couldnt get them off, he figured out how to undo the belt. We put the belt on backwards so he couldnt reach it, he figured that out too. I would run in his room 1000 times during his nap to make sure he wasnt "fingerpainting" (he painted his walls!!) and it was like he knew my timing, he always beat me to it. I would sit there and cry and get angry and plead and make him clean it up... and it didnt matter. He would cry and say hes sorry and that its so yucky- but yet, hed do it the next day.
I am sorry to say, nothing I did worked - it was something that he just grew out of. He just stopped. I dont know what else I could have done since no one I'd ever talked to went through this with their kids - but I can assure you that he will grow out of it, you just may go crazy in the mean time!
get some footie pajama's- if they are too warm then cut off the arms and legs- put them on at nap and night so he can't have access to that area. a onsie with shorts might work too.
Hi W.! We are dealing with something similar with our two and a half year old during nap times. Except he takes the diaper off and wherever he lays or sits, there is poop. ugh! After reasearching, he wears shorts with a belt to bed. Maybe you could do pants with a belt? or footed pajamas. Some parents that I read about would cut the feet out of footed pajamas and have the child wear them backwards so he could not unzip them?
Good Luck! I know how frustrating it is!
Is there a way of timing naps and food intake so the possibility of this happening is less likely? Seriously, keep the kid up until he has a BM then put him top bed.
Have you asked his pediatrician?
He is old enough to help clean up and that will have some impact.
Although this is a lot nastier to clean up, as far as behavior goes, it is no different than if he purposely threw food across the room, he'd have to clean it up.
Whatever you do, just don't humiliate him.
Oh gosh, my stomach just dropped when I read this. We have gone through this off and on with my 2 1/2 yr old son for the last year. It is utterly disgusting and so frustrating, I know! I don't have any magic fix except to keep reiterating to him that it's nasty and will make him sick if he keeps playing with . Luckily, we've not had any "art work" for the last couple of months but I am always dreading that it will happen again. I know it's just a phase and they do grow out of it but in the meantime it's tough to deal with. I wish you the best of luck!
My oldest daughter did EXACTLY the same thing when she was that age! I took pictures to show her future boyfriends:). Oh, it was horrible and I really feel for you! One time she "painted" a smiley face and said "Look, Mommy, its HAPPY!" with such glee when I came into the room. All I had to say was "Mommy isn't happy."
Making sure to put her in footed pajamas, even sometimes with the zipper backwards once she knew how to undo it, helped a lot. Or if you can find the pajama tops and bottoms that snap together, these would be easier since it is so hot during the summer. It was winter, fortunately, when my Emily chose to "paint."
Good luck, and just know that he will grow out of it. Take pictures so that you can have some fun with this when he's older and get some of your own back:).
Our beautiful little 2 year old Grandaughter recently did this at her Mothers Day Out at Church. My son left a funeral early to pick her up and he was shocked. He said Mom I didn't know what to say to them... Her Grandfather is a pastor at the same church.. I said tell them to call her Papaw next time - ha.. just kidding. She is NOT the first... I have three sons and all were potty trained by the age of 2. It is something you might think about - especially the pooping part. Our little Grandaughter has since started pooping in the potty but not the tee teeing part. This will pass with your son - good luck and have patience... I would for sure scold him a little - it will not hurt him..
I like the pj's idea, I had to do that my son when he was younger. He didn't paint with his poo but he would stick his hands in his diaper and push it down so far that all the pee would leak out, so I was dealing with wet pj's and sheets every single morning, which got old. So I kept some tape by the changing table and when I got him into pj's I would put some tape around the waist of his diaper, not so tight that it would hurt him but just tight enough that he could not push the top of the diaper down. It might for work for keeping him out his poo too.
Just think of the bribery stories you will have for future girlfriends of his ;)
My son did the same thing and it made me SO frustrated! I searched for advice on this when I went through it and I tried it all. It didn't matter how much I told him it was gross or that his actions made me angry, he would cry and say he was sorry then do it again the next night. I would have to give him a bath and scrub his fingers to get them clean, it was nasty to do. The water temperature that I would use was chilly, not ice cold. It was not cold enough to harm him but he was uncomfortable. While I was cleaning him I told him that if he did that then the water to clean him would be cold. He didn't like it at all. I also would put him in PJs that had a zipper and would tie the zipper to the flap at the top. It was an inconvenience to do for each nap and bedtime but I knew he couldn't get to his diaper. I had to tie him in because he would take off his clothes. Good luck and just like everything else, this too will pass.
Maybe his diaper is too big. I have some children in my day care the dad is raising and he buys them big to fit both children. But the other day she had a BM and it was all over every toy and the carpet and legs she also had not reached in. I also had a customer put her child's diaper backwards so she could not get the tape off as well. How discusting. Years ago, I had a beauty shop in my home and was doing a customer. I looked down and my son had reacted in his diaper and was eating it. I was shocked. He never did it again but later for attention ate a worm and ant at the day care. I would sure try to potty train him. All my 2 yr olds are doing it but one who refuses to. But there comes a time when they are holding it longer I feel that is when they respond better or it is easier to catch them.Also my son was about 5 and peed his pants at home but no way at school. A nurse told me to take a bucket and have him clean the soiled clothes and sheets. Boy I guess he thought that would be fun. I told him to use the bath tub. She says some times when they have to take the responsibility they will stop. By the time she left our home he has a huge wet pee. He went in and washed his clothes and I could not find them to rewash them in the machine after he was asleep. He hung them on our back fense. It only took about two times and he quit but she said the next step would have been cold water. God Bless G. W
I'm assuming you have told him this (ruins the crib and sheet) and now we have to clean it , and tell him yuck yuckie, we don't ever mess in our diaper, don't EVER do it again, o.k.?? If he is two , he should understand what is a no, no and what is not or start being taught. It is an on going thing to teach them all the no no,s, but now is sure the time to start.
My almost 2 year old has only put his fingers in a dirty diaper when I didn't have pants on him or he was just in a diaper. Maybe covering him up more until he's ready to potty train will help. He went through a phase of pooping on purpose in the bath. Every time I would tell him yuck, gross, etc & put in it the toilet. He's realizing it is gross now & starting to tell us when he has a dirty diaper. He's gone poop on the potty a few times. Hope that helps.
