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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

DD is turning into a wee Bobby Sands.....help please!!

48 replies

BunnyLebowski · 20/08/2010 14:04

DD is 22 months old. We haven't started potty training yet but have bought a potty to familiarise her with the idea of sitting on it etc.

In the past 2 weeks (latest incident 2 hours ago) there have been 4 instances where I have been out of the room (for at most 10 mins) whilst doing housework etc and she has pooed.

She has then taken the poo out of her nappy and painted the sofa/tv screen/her legs/her toys/her hair with it and smeared it in all sorts of inappropriate places (not that there is an appropriate place to smear poo but I digress).

Has anyone had any similar dirty protesting with their dcs??? Is it a sign of her being ready to potty train?? Does it mean she has behavioural problems??

Or is it just natural curiosity in a toddler??

And how do I deal with it?? So far I've gotten a bit cross with her and then marched her to the bathroom and cleaned her off while telling her why I'm cross with her. She seems to understand at the time that she has been naughty but then does it again .

Surely I don't just ignore this behaviour??

Gah my house smells of shite .

Any help would be desperately welcome .

OP posts:

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Original poster

BunnyLebowski · 20/08/2010 14:22

Anyone??

I really don't know what to do with this one

OP posts:

chipmonkey · 20/08/2010 15:22

Oh dear, Bunny, that is an awful nuisance but tbh I don't think abnormal behaviour so someone so young! I owuld not think behavioural problems at all

I know my aunt used to mind my cousins ds and came in to his room one morning to find he had made lots of little poo sausages and lined them up on the top of his cot rail!

How does she get the poo out of the nappy? Does she still wear a poppered vest? I think I would be inclined to make it as difficult as possible for her to get it out of the nappy in the first place.

Original poster

BunnyLebowski · 20/08/2010 15:34

LMAO and simultaneously boking at poo sausages .

Yes she still wears popper vests and I've been putting on tight fitting leggings on top (in an effort to make it harder for her to access) but she still manages to get her hand in and the poo out. A few times she's managed to get the whole lot off, nappy included .

I don't really think there's anything major wrong. She's a very bright, clever, adventurous wee monkey with no other odd behaviours. I just wish I could discover a magic solution for this kind of thing but I don't think that's quite how this parenting lark works eh?!

Thanks for your reply chipmonkey

OP posts:

chipmonkey · 20/08/2010 15:44

Well, with any irritating behaviours from my dc, I tell myself they are unlikely to be still doing it at 20! It helps. A bit!

lorna3 · 20/08/2010 15:48

Oh gosh, I feel like such a child but I'm laughing really hard at "poo sausages"!

I'm not sure what to suggest but hopefully she'll get bored of it soon.

Housewife2010 · 20/08/2010 15:51

I do sympathise with you. My little girl did this several times earlier this year, when she was 2 & a half. Fortunately it was always in her cot, but it was pretty horrendous. It tended to happen when she woke from a nap & realised that she had something new to play with! She doesn't do it now, but I totally understand what you're going through. It's a shame that you can't get some sort of poo smell alarm fitted in their nappies so you could change it immediately before they do their worst! - Maybe a new idea for Pampers!

resistanceisfutile · 20/08/2010 16:10

Oh thank god my DD never tried this stunt

If she does a poo in her nappy when you're in the room, does she tell you straight away?

Maybe she just doesn't like the feeling of poo in her nappy, so when you're not there to sort it out she figures she'll just take it out herself

If this is the case, I'd be tempted to give potty training a go. If she doesn't like being wet / dirty in nappies that would be good motivation to get her to try doing it on the potty. Obviously if she's not keen don't push it.

I know 22 months seems early to train, but I know a few children (usually girls) who have trained this early.

Galena · 20/08/2010 21:17

Duck tape the nappy on!

LynetteScavo · 20/08/2010 21:25

Potty train her.

DS2 and DD were both 24 months. (And it was their choice, no accidents) 22 months isn't 6that^ young.

zapostrophe · 20/08/2010 21:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Housewife2010 · 20/08/2010 21:55

We used to sellotape our DD into her nappy at night during her dirty protest stage. But as your little girl is doing it during the day, it could be a bit of a hassle, but if it saves your house from poo it may be worth it.

hairytriangle · 20/08/2010 22:11

Serious topic I know but lthe bobby sands analagy is vile and needless.

stleger · 20/08/2010 22:27

I'm surprised that anyone got the analogy! Vile indeed, but makes the point. You don't have a baby as well do you? My neice had a few poo issues when her brother arrived; I knew someone else with more major ones (like you are dealing with) which also seemed to be related to a baby's arrival. Or have you moved house or anything? I think the HV advice was to clean and ignore, the poppered vest and dungarees was a practical way through.

herethereandeverywhere · 20/08/2010 22:58

I assumed your LO was refusing to eat when I saw the title

Sorry, I don't have any helpful advice, although Duct-taping the nappy (and carrying scissors to remove when required!) might be your best option!

Original poster

BunnyLebowski · 21/08/2010 01:07

'vile and needless'. Um ok.

As a Northern Irish person very directly affected by the troubles I disagree but feel free to spit your dummy about a non-malicious thread title.

Thanks for the practical advice everyone. I think we'll start potty training.

OP posts:

PricklyThistle · 21/08/2010 01:34

Not sure about the advice re potty training would've thought 22 months too young to be potty training. Maybe speak to HV about this?

As to thread title, sorry, but I too thought ot might be an eating subject which was bad enough, but for it to be a smearing one is a bit distastful IMHO.

KerryMumbles · 21/08/2010 01:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

BunnyLebowski · 21/08/2010 01:47

I apologise. It was really not my intention to offend anyone.

OP posts:

stleger · 21/08/2010 10:32

The hunger strike time in Belfast was not good; I left home just afterwards. However, I can imagine that a toddler on a 'dirty protest' is not easy to deal with, and I 'got' your meaning at once. I had the equally unpleasant 'retention and overflow' with my ds. I wonder if Freud went through poo issues with his kids and theorised about them?

hairytriangle · 21/08/2010 21:41

I'm glad you've seen that it's inappropriate and offensive. Not a topic to be made light of.

FoxyRevenger · 21/08/2010 21:44

Bloody hell people, it was a JOKE!!!!!!

nomorestorage · 22/08/2010 09:31

Remember how similar 'poo' is to playdough and finger paint from the perspective of a 22 month old and then remember that our sense of 'revolting' has not yet developed in her. In that context she is engaging in some very creative self led play - and all self-led!! So - if I were you I would try not to show signs of annoyance as this could trigger shame/make her associate experimenting with being naughty. Instead show minimal interest if any at all and then clear up. And perhaps do lots of creative play at other times - she obviously has an urge to make marks and shapes! Must be hard though... the smell and all that.... good luck these phases run their course very quickly!

stleger · 22/08/2010 10:13

(I think there was always 'black humour' in Northern Ireland during the worst of the troubles. You had to be there - not that it was a great place to be! I can imagine my MIL using the same analogy, and she is from a very republican background).

omnishambles · 22/08/2010 10:29

I was a bit surprised by the thread title and thought it offensive but am not Irish so am not part of the ingroup humour iyswim.

Its a bit odd though to liken your toddlers behaviour to something like that I think. You could just have easily have said Jackson Pollock and people would have known maybe...

herethereandeverywhere · 22/08/2010 10:30

Another voice in defence of Bunny - my DH is from NI and would also use this sort of "humour". Balaclavas and knee cappings also feature highly I think you did have to be there/live through it so to speak.

Comedian Paddy Kielty's best stuff is taking the p*ss out of the Troubles and I think I'm right in saying he lost his father as a result of them.

Not denying it's a sensitive subject though.

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