Any suggestions to break this gross habit?

Question

My 20 month old daughter has a gross habit of waking from her nap and playing with her own feces. I've tried checking on her regularly during her naps to try and catch her before she does it but that only works some of the times, she'll usually do this and then yell for me or her father to come get her. This isn't something she does all the time but it worries me. Her older brothers did it maybe a few times but never after turning 14 months and her older sister did it about six times but stopped before her first birthday. She has no medical problems and I've brought her to the doctor several times to be checked out in case she has put some of it in her mouth but every check up has been normal so it's not really her health I'm worried about. I just get tired of having to scrub her crib, her walls and whatever stuffed animal was in the crib with her when she does this and that's about three or four times a week. I also worry if she'll ever grow out of it.

Answer 1

I'm not sure my toddlers boys have never done it but if they did I would put clothes on them they can't take off.
ie, when she sleeps put her in overalls or something?

Answer 2

Kids can do an amazingly amount of gross stuff. Most of it is just simple curiosity and exploration of their environment. For a child who takes off their own diaper, I have had good success at putting the diaper on backwards, with the tapes at the back. It is difficult for a little one to take the diaper off, but if she still manages it, a little strip of duct tape over the diaper tapes is helpful as well. Depending on how determined she is to get the diaper off, you can also put a pair of training pants or big girl panties on over the diaper. A onesie (which can also be put on backwards with the snaps at the back) and overalls can complete the nap time outfit. By the time she manages to get through the layers of clothes, she should be making enough noise to alert you to the fact she is awake and stop the mess before it starts. Not every child does this, but it is not necessarily a cause for alarm unless she doesn't outgrow it. Give her some acceptable messy things to explore such as shaving cream, play doh, water, sand, even pudding on her high chair table. Some children are very tactile in their learning and your daughter may be one of them.

Answer 3

Definitely put her in a sleeper that isn't easy to get off (no snaps) so she cannot access the diaper. Also, I know this sounds strange, but have you told her not to do this? She probably totally understands what you're saying, so just tell her not to (can't say it'll work, but who knows). Also, you could tell her that you aren't going to give her any stuffed animals in her crib because they don't want to have poopie on themselves. Or, she could be reacting to how you are reacting. She might be interested in the attention (negative, but still attention) that you're giving her. So you could try to be very non-chalant when you're cleaning up. After she finds out it isn't much fun, she might stop. I never had to deal with this, so I feel fortunate! Goodluck

Answer 4

She's being a normal curious kiddo! It is a bit on the "ugh" side for us parents, but the best you can do is what you are doing. You might wanna try putting her down in an outfit that she can't get to her diaper in... and if you have a baby monitor in her room you can always hear when she wakes up and then go right in to get her up before she has a lot of time to houdini her way out of her bottoms and get inside her diaper for her "prize"!!
Bless her heart that she's a healthy, thinking, curious little gal and hang in there!!! She will "grow" out of it when something else collects her interest!! Maybe a mobile, stuffed animal--something else to distract her upon awakening would help--- but I would try the monitor so you can hear her right away and the outfit in which she can't get to her bottom easily.

Answer 5

Put some underwear over her diaper or som overal pigamas that are hard to take off. Check her diaper often if she is regular and poops at the same time than you can stop her from doing it. Good luck

Answer 6

oh dear, thats hard to cope with!
well she will have to go in overall pj's! considering the weather she shouldn't over heat! with studs on her back, something very difficult for her to get into her nappy!
Try observing her until the time she wakes up and starts to play, this maybe up to an hour but you need to catch her in the act of doing this!
This is behavioural and she needs to stop doing this.
I know it sounds hard but its unacceptable for you to keep scrubbing and cleaning when she knows she is doing this.
she is old enough to know what she is doing and she has to be taught "not to play with poo poo"!
She is a normal toddler, its just a behavioural tendency shes gotton herself into.
Best wishes

Answer 7

I am fortunate enough not to face that at nap time. Personally I would place her diaper on backwards and use duct tape to secure it...I've also heard of placing a onsie on her backwards so she has a harder time getting it off and maybe make enough noise by then that you can hear her on a monitor.

Answer 8

Both of my kids never did this however, it is very common and most likely as you have seen they grow out of it...
Do not make a big deal out of it and hope that she gets bored fast! Good luck!
PS... instead of playoibg with poop, my son puked every night in his crib for 10 months straight!!!I am not sure which is worse!!!

Answer 9

I would try putting a one piece bodysuit on her before a nap. So she can't reach down into her diaper when she wakes up.

Answer 10

try covering the nappy with a pair of underwear or something, to stop her getting easy access to her nappy.