Toddler Smearing Poop on Toys
Our daughter, age 2 years, 8 months has 3 times now taken her diaper off and smeared poop over some of her toys after she's been put to bed. The first and second time we took away the soiled toys, cleaned her and put her back to bed (not without some scolding though). SHe hasn't gotten those toys back yet, although I've cleaned them.
Tonight she did it to her little people plane and farm, including the little people and the animals (some of which have hair). She was covered from head to toe and she came out to announce that she had pooped. I cleaned her off with wipes and then bathed her and then we redressed her and put her in the corner while we took out all the toys in her room, including her books and her bookshelves. Maybe it's a bit harsh, but this has to stop. I'm not even sure how and when to give them back. I know at her age, a short time is a very long time, so maybe overnight might be good enough. The little people items were so bad, if they hadn't been given to her by my two sisters, I probably would have thrown them out. But, instead, I painstakingly cleaned them. Although I do need to go back and do more disinfecting to make me comfortable with giving them back sometime.
As for why she's doing this, I'm not sure if it's because she she's fascinated with the poop or if she's acting up because she has a new little brother in the house (he's 9 weeks old now). I've been trying very hard to make sure she has plenty of attention from me. Sometimes though I am busy making dinner or tending to her brother. And, her Daddy has been given her more attention too.
Anyone experience this and have any advice for how to stop it?
Answers:
Oh, one other thing. I had recently allowed her to go to bed with her lights on in her room for a bit. That's going to stop now too. Perhaps she would have gone to sleep and wouldn't have done this but did it because she was alone in there with the lights on?
Answers:
This behavior may be occuring because of the newborn or the light on. But why now? You can turn the lights off and see what happens. Did she get up out of bed to soil the toys? Were the toys in bed with her? Does she sleep with a doll? If not, that should be tried. You can give this another week or so and see if it doesn't stop by itself.
Or....
I'm going to suggest something that is very odd, paradoxical and may not work at all. Please take this suggestion with several grains of salt. But, it's relatively harmless. The idea behind paradoxical intervention is to prescribe the problem. For example, if your child was old enough to understand, and was overeating, I would suggest that you would encourage overeating by presenting more and more food. The hope is that this will reverse the behavior. So, what I suggest is this: Make a bowl of mud. At night as your daughter is going to bed, have the bowl of mud by the bed. First, place your hand in the mud and see if your daughter does the same. If not, gently take her hand and put it in the mud. If she goes along with it, fine; if not, don't push. The exercise might work if just you put your hands in the mud. Either way, then, take your hands, and her hands, and act as if you are washing your hands in the mud. Then, take your (and her) hands out of the mud and with a towel wash them off but leave a little mud on the hands. Then tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. See what happens. She might demand that that little bit left on her hand be washed off, if so do it.
You can try this same approach with a doll first if you want. That is, wash the dolls hands in the mud, wash part of it off and then put the doll to bed with your daughter.
Answers:
Ahhh you brought back memories of my son who is now 3 1/2 he did the samething and it would drive me crazy .. He grew out of it about after 2 months.... I think that was my first clue that he was ready to be going to the toliet... But the I think the number 1 reason why they do it is curoisty and attention we also just had a baby who is now 1 .. we laid down brand new carpets in his room and when we awoke the next day pooh was all over I freaked I know I should not have but I was so sick of it.... and it grossed me I would wash his hands and pooh would still be under his finger nails and I could still smell it... Thanks god it only lasted a few months or I would be insane now.
Good luck it will pass.... also my doctor said it was very normal they are wondering what the heck is this stuff in my diaper age... they know it is pooh but do not relize that it is gross and unhealthy to be touching it
Hugs to you it will pass.
Answers:
No offence to this poster... But I do not think you need to go that extreme with playing with mud. before bed your child might think you are out of your mind. and want to always do that... I think you would be just introducing her to a new mess that is unnecessary.
This behavior may be occuring because of the newborn or the light on. But why now? You can turn the lights off and see what happens. Did she get up out of bed to soil the toys? Were the toys in bed with her? Does she sleep with a doll? If not, that should be tried. You can give this another week or so and see if it doesn't stop by itself.
Or....
I'm going to suggest something that is very odd, paradoxical and may not work at all. Please take this suggestion with several grains of salt. But, it's relatively harmless. The idea behind paradoxical intervention is to prescribe the problem. For example, if your child was old enough to understand, and was overeating, I would suggest that you would encourage overeating by presenting more and more food. The hope is that this will reverse the behavior. So, what I suggest is this: Make a bowl of mud. At night as your daughter is going to bed, have the bowl of mud by the bed. First, place your hand in the mud and see if your daughter does the same. If not, gently take her hand and put it in the mud. If she goes along with it, fine; if not, don't push. The exercise might work if just you put your hands in the mud. Either way, then, take your hands, and her hands, and act as if you are washing your hands in the mud. Then, take your (and her) hands out of the mud and with a towel wash them off but leave a little mud on the hands. Then tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. See what happens. She might demand that that little bit left on her hand be washed off, if so do it.
You can try this same approach with a doll first if you want. That is, wash the dolls hands in the mud, wash part of it off and then put the doll to bed with your daughter.
Tonight she did it to her little people plane and farm, including the little people and the animals (some of which have hair). She was covered from head to toe and she came out to announce that she had pooped. I cleaned her off with wipes and then bathed her and then we redressed her and put her in the corner while we took out all the toys in her room, including her books and her bookshelves. Maybe it's a bit harsh, but this has to stop. I'm not even sure how and when to give them back. I know at her age, a short time is a very long time, so maybe overnight might be good enough. The little people items were so bad, if they hadn't been given to her by my two sisters, I probably would have thrown them out. But, instead, I painstakingly cleaned them. Although I do need to go back and do more disinfecting to make me comfortable with giving them back sometime.
As for why she's doing this, I'm not sure if it's because she she's fascinated with the poop or if she's acting up because she has a new little brother in the house (he's 9 weeks old now). I've been trying very hard to make sure she has plenty of attention from me. Sometimes though I am busy making dinner or tending to her brother. And, her Daddy has been given her more attention too.
Anyone experience this and have any advice for how to stop it?
Answers:
Oh, one other thing. I had recently allowed her to go to bed with her lights on in her room for a bit. That's going to stop now too. Perhaps she would have gone to sleep and wouldn't have done this but did it because she was alone in there with the lights on?
Answers:
This behavior may be occuring because of the newborn or the light on. But why now? You can turn the lights off and see what happens. Did she get up out of bed to soil the toys? Were the toys in bed with her? Does she sleep with a doll? If not, that should be tried. You can give this another week or so and see if it doesn't stop by itself.
Or....
I'm going to suggest something that is very odd, paradoxical and may not work at all. Please take this suggestion with several grains of salt. But, it's relatively harmless. The idea behind paradoxical intervention is to prescribe the problem. For example, if your child was old enough to understand, and was overeating, I would suggest that you would encourage overeating by presenting more and more food. The hope is that this will reverse the behavior. So, what I suggest is this: Make a bowl of mud. At night as your daughter is going to bed, have the bowl of mud by the bed. First, place your hand in the mud and see if your daughter does the same. If not, gently take her hand and put it in the mud. If she goes along with it, fine; if not, don't push. The exercise might work if just you put your hands in the mud. Either way, then, take your hands, and her hands, and act as if you are washing your hands in the mud. Then, take your (and her) hands out of the mud and with a towel wash them off but leave a little mud on the hands. Then tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. See what happens. She might demand that that little bit left on her hand be washed off, if so do it.
You can try this same approach with a doll first if you want. That is, wash the dolls hands in the mud, wash part of it off and then put the doll to bed with your daughter.
Answers:
Ahhh you brought back memories of my son who is now 3 1/2 he did the samething and it would drive me crazy .. He grew out of it about after 2 months.... I think that was my first clue that he was ready to be going to the toliet... But the I think the number 1 reason why they do it is curoisty and attention we also just had a baby who is now 1 .. we laid down brand new carpets in his room and when we awoke the next day pooh was all over I freaked I know I should not have but I was so sick of it.... and it grossed me I would wash his hands and pooh would still be under his finger nails and I could still smell it... Thanks god it only lasted a few months or I would be insane now.
Good luck it will pass.... also my doctor said it was very normal they are wondering what the heck is this stuff in my diaper age... they know it is pooh but do not relize that it is gross and unhealthy to be touching it
Hugs to you it will pass.
Answers:
No offence to this poster... But I do not think you need to go that extreme with playing with mud. before bed your child might think you are out of your mind. and want to always do that... I think you would be just introducing her to a new mess that is unnecessary.
This behavior may be occuring because of the newborn or the light on. But why now? You can turn the lights off and see what happens. Did she get up out of bed to soil the toys? Were the toys in bed with her? Does she sleep with a doll? If not, that should be tried. You can give this another week or so and see if it doesn't stop by itself.
Or....
I'm going to suggest something that is very odd, paradoxical and may not work at all. Please take this suggestion with several grains of salt. But, it's relatively harmless. The idea behind paradoxical intervention is to prescribe the problem. For example, if your child was old enough to understand, and was overeating, I would suggest that you would encourage overeating by presenting more and more food. The hope is that this will reverse the behavior. So, what I suggest is this: Make a bowl of mud. At night as your daughter is going to bed, have the bowl of mud by the bed. First, place your hand in the mud and see if your daughter does the same. If not, gently take her hand and put it in the mud. If she goes along with it, fine; if not, don't push. The exercise might work if just you put your hands in the mud. Either way, then, take your hands, and her hands, and act as if you are washing your hands in the mud. Then, take your (and her) hands out of the mud and with a towel wash them off but leave a little mud on the hands. Then tuck her into bed and kiss her goodnight. See what happens. She might demand that that little bit left on her hand be washed off, if so do it.
You can try this same approach with a doll first if you want. That is, wash the dolls hands in the mud, wash part of it off and then put the doll to bed with your daughter.