when you wake up naked

 MG 9501

What do you do when each time you go in to wake your daughter up from a nap, she’s already standing, naked, holding her own feces? You know, aside from running the bath water and putting your house up on the market? Seriously, it’s easier to just move than to clean shit off the bars of a crib. I’ve tried dressing her with underwear over her diaper, then a one piece zip up number, with a pullover light-weight vest on top. I thought layers might deter her. Nope. What’s a mama to do?! Help!

Do you walk in and reprimand her a little? "What did you do? Bad. We keep our poop in our pants young lady." Or is it counterproductive and harmful to reprimand her if it’s already done? I understand a bit of "no no" when I catch her in the act, but I really don’t know what to do, you know, other than encouraging the use of her potty, which right now, they see as a depository for their Lego cat.

Image
SHARE

COMMENTS:

  1. Of course you reprimand her, you don't approve of it don't you? If you hadn't reprimanded Linus he would never have learned either (though I don't mean you need to use the same means of reprimanding here…)

  2. Duct tape.
    I swear to God.
    Duct tape allllllll the way around the diaper.
    This is NOT cruel. I speak from personal experience and I 100% stand by it.
    It has to be real duct tape though, not that cheap-o dollar-store, pretend duct tape.
    Best of luck! Thank GOD I'm past that now. :)

  3. Potty prizes. Work harder on getting her on the jon. It sounds like she is beyond ready even if she's resisting it.
    Im sorry but this made me laugh. Im so glad I never had that happen though mine did shit in the tub once (okay, twice) when I was in the tub with him. *hurp*

  4. You need to reprimand her of course, and maybe if you lead her to the potty and have her put the poop in she will start to understand the poop-potty connection? If all else fails try putting her to sleep in overalls.

  5. Two can be a tricky age to judge how aware your kids are.. some twos are still more "baby" than toddler, and vice versa. I'd say it depends on Abigail. Is she pretty aware socially? Does she usually know it when she's about to do something wrong? If so, then I think a series firm reprimands is in order. The deed is done, yes, but she still knows that she's standing there covered in poo and that she's the one who made it happen. She needs to that you get angry when she plays in poop, and it won't hurt her a bit to know it. Good luck.

  6. as mother of a 4 1/2 year old I will tell you the best reaction is no reaction….pick her up quietly and stick her in the bath…just warm enough to not be cruel but no warm bubbly bath tub. if shitting= attention and bathtime fun (alone with mama) then shitting looks like a pretty good choice to a toddler. nobody ever got hurt with a cold rinse down, digesting feces on the other hand is a different story. Toddlers are smart and quickly learn what works and what doesn't. Remember what they teach us about children who rebel "negative attention is still attention." No reaction= no reward. :)

  7. Take her least favorite pair of footie pjs, and cut the feet off. Then put them on her backward, zip 'em up, and pin the zip at the top.

  8. My friend has triplets – all girls. She had to duct tape their diapers, too. If one ripped theirs off, the other 2 did. It was like a chain reaction. So yes – duct tape!

  9. I like the cold shower idea. Duct tape solves the symptom – not the problem. She'll get the unpleasant association without it having to become a her versus you battle for independence. The best lesson any parent can teach is that behaviors have consequences – that have little to do with who is administering the consequence.

  10. You might try getting a gDiaper cover to go on over her normal diaper. They velcro in the back instead of the front and should be harder for her to get into.

  11. DUCT TAPE. Listen to us. We're not joking. Duct tape that diaper all the way around. Keep scissors handy for changing time. Or make her help clean it up. That is not as fun as making a mess. It worked with my son and him being lazy and crapping his pants. We'd make him rinse them out after putting the "prize" in the toilet. Didn't take more than 5 times.

  12. We use a sleep sack.
    They make a large size. My daughter is 19 months. She's tall and weighs about 24 lbs.
    She can't get to her poop when she's wearing a sleep sack.
    Good luck!

  13. The duct tape is a good idea. Also, those little one piece outfits – either with buttons or a zipper – put on backwards.

    I've worked with children with special needs and the backward dressing has always worked.

  14. OMG, this is too funny! My mother used to complain that I did the exact thing. Hated clothing of any kind and played w/poop. She said I was the original streaker.

    She said I used to smear poop into the wood panneled walls next to my crib (back in the 70's when that was in style)! Or worse, I would sneak up on my sleeping father and smear it into his hairy chest!!! Or ball it up and throw "poop nuggets" at my parents when they were sleeping. My parents learned to sleep with one eye open.

    I don't know what she did to get me out of that phase, God bless her! This will make GREAT blackmail fodder for when Abby gets older and starts dating.

  15. Maybe ask your pediatrician too but I like the no reaction so as not to encourage. Then again …duct tape? Moms, how do you get it off? Doesn't that hurt? Mine is only 1 now so this scares me. Seems like I learned something here so if it does happen I might resort to the duct tape thing.. it just sounds nutty but if it works, hey. I suspect after the first few times experiencing this the duct tape converts quickly got over the onus of putting tape on their little angels' diapers. Ha.

    I know I used to take off my diaper and stuff it through the slat of the crib when I felt it was time to be changed. Oh joy! Cannot wait for the potty training now.

  16. I rectom it depends (oh, the pun potential here) on what she's doing with said turds. Is she redecorating with them? Maybe get her fingerpaints and redirect her artistic endeavors?

  17. Haha.. the childless Lisa's advice clashes with the mommies' advice. Mommies win. :) Duct tape is an awesome idea.

  18. Hi Stephanie – I was going to suggest the diaper on backwards idea…but that coupled with the footless zip up pj's on backwards, should help alot (If you dont want to cut the feet off of any, just buy some that don't have feet, and put some socks on her little tootsies)! I have twins too (girls), and K did the exact same thing at this very same age! Pleasant? Hells no – but the backward diaper stopped it for her. The second step of the pj's should do the trick.

    Take care,
    Michelle

  19. put the one piece zip up thing on backwards. Did it for my son and it worked like a charm.

  20. I don't want to hijack someone else's blog, but as long as we're on this subject (sort of): anyone have any advice for a spiteful eight-year-old who is too lazy to get up and pee in the bathroom, and who will wet her pants — at home, in the presence of a play date, even — rather than excuse herself for a few minutes? Trust me, there is no bladder problem; she's never once wet the bed, even during potty training. I've already threatened her that the next time it happened she would not go to any birthday parties for the rest of the school year … and it happened again TWICE. I have to admire her stubbornness, but all these years later I'm so over cleaning up someone else's bodily fluids. Ideas? Thanks!

  21. I dont have kids, but I would either step up the potty-training, or try to stay in the same room while she "naps" so you can stop her before she does it. Can you write/scrap/etc in there and still concentrate?

  22. Natalie is 100% right on, when my kids were small I was all about not giving them attention for things like this, it really does work!

  23. I 4th or 5th or 6th the duct tape. Oh noes, it goes on the diaper, not the baby.

    But no attention, positive or negative, is a good idea too.

  24. Julies bathtub story had me spewing popcorn all over my laptop.

    No advice from me, my kids are just about 10 months…I'm dreading this phase.

  25. Duct tape indeed. If she does it when she wakes up in the mornings, you can cut out the feet of her zip up pajamas and put them on backwards. Good luck!

  26. Oh, the memories! When my daughter was 2 yrs old, she woke up from her nap and proceeded to take her diaper off and 'paint' her entire bedroom with poop. It was EVERYWHERE…bed, rug, wall, toys, dresser knobs.– You name it, and it had a little dollop embellishment. I was pregnant at the time and suffering from constant morning sickness. The smell and mess was almost more than I could bear. My daughter watched as I sobbed the entire time that it took me to clean it all up. She never did it again…thank god!

  27. Stephanie, duct tape. It's a phase, it'll pass.

    Jodi, she is EIGHT! There is absolutely NO REASON why she should not be cleaning herself. And her laundry. If you're POSITIVE there's absolutely nothing physical wrong with her, I'd be a total bitch of a hardass about this. Let her go to school, and come home. That's IT. No playdates, because peeing in your pants at someone else's house is not acceptable, and obviously she can't have playdates until she CAN behave acceptably. She should have to do her own laundry. Any time she pees in her pants rather than taking the time to go to the bathroom I'd take away whatever she was doing for a week. Watching tv? No more tv. Reading a book? Take away the book. Playing outside? Grounded for a week.

  28. Duct tape…it sounds nuts but we had to do it for a while. Its a crazy multiples thing, one of my twins did, the other didn't. She'll outgrow it. Its nasty and awful and made me want to sell her! We used to have to duct tape her pajamas shut too, or if you have sleepers with a zipper you can use a diaper pin to pin the zipper shut. Good Luck!

  29. You can even buy duct tape in fancy colors. I just bought some for my 16 year old daughter – I was thinking of creating a chastity belt – but thankfully, it will just be used for her great creations: wallets, purses, etc.

    http://www.tapebrothers.com

  30. Jodi,
    *raises hand*

    I have a five year old who is like that at times.
    Pure freakin laziness too.

    I too had to actually threaten him with punishment before he'd remember and I felt horrible about it, like I was Mommy Dearest but it worked. I do still watch his fluids, and if I know he hasnt peed in a while I make him. He grunts and fusses and sometimes stomps his feet but he eventually does it. He also went through this (oh so funny! yeah right) stage where he would pee a little then stop and grin at me like, 'ha,ha, im not going to piss it all out just to spite you'
    these moments I would ignore him and act as though I was doing something else. Thank goodness it passed.

  31. Liz,
    it was horrible! I was reading my book while he played between my legs (that alone sounds perverted but we had a roman tub back then), and out of the corner of my eye i see this little brown nuggest just floating towards my face. Vomit!

  32. How long is she hanging out by herself after waking up? I'd try the monitor route for a while. When she wakes up, get in there – don't give her enough time to get busy with that diaper.

    And a cold shower? Are you insane? What a horrific suggestion.

  33. Yep. We've said it a few times here, but once more for the record DUCT TAPE. Around the diaper. Just be prepared with the scissors to get if off. But really it works.

  34. Yes! Duct tape, packing tape, masking tape and in a pinch…scotch tape. I used to have to cut my kids out of their diapers in the morning…but that task is nothing compared to the alternative!

  35. This phase will be over in a month and you won't think about it anymore. What did you do about all the other problems? Like anything (sleeping, bad eaters, biting, etc) you just get through it and pray for it to be over. It will pass soon.
    You could also try holding the nap till she's already poo'd? My crapped on the carpet out of spite one time, and ATE IT!!

  36. Just thinking – the pj's on backwards, duct tape the zipper. That's easier for you (not her) to get off than duct tape wrapped around the diaper.

  37. Oh, my. Consider me another vote for duct tape.

    Thankfully, I was never in the tub with them when my tots used to poop in it but Julie, you brought back some precious memories. Precious because they are exactly that – memories. Three teens' mom, you rock. I always enjoy your comments. I have two teens.

  38. Not sure what you're doing for a monitor, but we use a video monitor and I can't count the number of times I've thanked God that we had it. Sounds like it might solve this problem – you'd see her before she has the chance to get undressed.

  39. I meant to also add that I'd stay away from any type of reprimand/punishment. Punishment for poop (which could be the connection she makes, being that she's only 2) can cause some serious issues in a child.

  40. OMG – we went through this repeatedly with one child (thankfully not the second) -it was AWFUL. Cleaning the crib bars is so gross. Unfortunately I don't have any advice – nothing I did helped. But I did hear afterwards that people do swear by duct tape. good luck!

  41. Oh the memories….When my first daughter did this (they all did) I called my mother not knowing what to do or where to start only to find out I had done the same thing to her…she laughed til she hurt.

  42. ::researching stock options in grey, official duct tape (tee-em, registered trademark, et. al.). i don't have kids, but i'm buyin' up the stock. it's the economy. after all.::

  43. Sounds like it's time for potty training!
    Get her to sit on the potty before the nap, so she can try and poop it all out before falling asleep. Seems like she has a clear pattern, so it can't hurt to try potty training.

    Different kids are ready at different ages; mine was aboug 50% potty trained by his 2nd birthday; sounds like Abigail may be ready, too.

  44. Did "Green" just suggest that an 8 year old should do her own laundry? Should she cook dinner too?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.