My Son’s…uh…Art?
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Be forewarned: You shouldn’t read this post if you’re about to eat lunch. Or dinner. Or a snack, for that matter.
My son has a new habit, and I have no idea how to break him of it. Although he has potty trained with regards to everyday activities, when he goes down for a nap I still put a diaper on him because he’s not quite to an age where he can hold it in while he sleeps. He takes naps most days, but some days he decides he would rather play than sleep.
Here is where it gets gross.
Once in a while he’ll need to poop during naptime. Instead of yelling for me to come help him, or going to the bathroom on his own, he’ll remove his diaper, do his business on the floor, and then smoosh it into the carpet until I come upon this horrific discovery.
Hey, I told you it was gross.
He’s done this three or four times in the past couple of months, and I’m just about ready to just give up on naps altogether just to avoid this situation. I’ve tried making him help me clean it up, I’ve tried scolding, once I even tried crying but that was more involuntary than anything else. Really, who wants to have to clean that stuff up? I think it would bring just about anyone to tears.
Yet today the same thing happened again. My husband seems to think we need to be more stern, but I think I can’t get any more stern without giving the kid a spanking, and since I don’t spank there’s not much else I can do.
I’m open to suggestions on this one.
Kimberly says...
I was reading a magazine story recently about a man who didn’t know how to put cloth diapers on his baby and he used duct tape.
I wonder if you duct taped your son’s diaper on if he wouldn’t be able to get it off? 
On a more serious note (though the tape isn’t all THAT bad of an idea…) have you tried having him nap in regular underpants? I wonder if he would not poop in them, or if he did if he’d have the same interest in getting the poop out and drawing with it…
I have never potty trained a child before, so these are just pulled out of the air ideas, not based on any official experience. Best of luck to you, though!
Tamsen Butler says...
Kimberly, that’s a really good idea to try underwear. Maybe the whole “diapers for naps” thing had him confused or something. I’ll give it a try.
If all else fails, I’ll go buy some duct tape!
Amy says...
Did the duct tape work? Daycare trained my 7 year old when he was 2.5. I am dreading it with my 15 month old daughter. Let me know if the duct tape idea worked because she is facinated by her diaper, cloth diaper, undies, you name it. I belive its the texture and the mark it leaves, and the fact of horror each time I catch her. Also to avoid I have set a timer in the kitchen to monitor how long she naps so I can catch her as she is waking up(Ih ave a 3 month old son). Also they are curious about their genetals not the poop. I want to know what you have come up with. I used safety pins on top of the usual plastic but took them off when I saw her playing with them and worried she would prick herself. I have never worked with duct tape before. Where do you buy it from a baby, office, school supplpy store? Is it something I can get at Walmart? How is it different than regular scotch tape?
Jessica says...
My son had this problem only he smired it all over the wall, crib, and himself. I started putting a onsey and a pair of ahorts on him at nap time and I havent had a problem since good luck