Parenting Toddlers (1-3) Support Group
This community is focused on the joys, challenges and concerns faced by parents of toddlers (1 to 3 year olds). The major areas of child development include: physical development, perception and sensory development, communication and language development, cognitive development, emotional development and social development. Join to share your stories and get advice.
My daughter is 13 months old and has recentley gotten very interested in what is in her diapers. Usually as soon as I put one on she goes to a corner and removes it. Only once has she waited long enough to remove it that I had to scrub poop off of my living room carpet.
But it's not just what's in her diaper she is interested in. It's also what her diaper is covering. When I change her her hands are automatically down there trying to check things out. Changing a poopy diaper has become a race so that she doesn't get her fingers in everything.
Now, she never goes without a diaper. Other then the worry of her peeing on the floor, I don't have anything against a nekid baby running around. But she has never had a diaper rash and has never needed to go free.
I know exploration of oneself is natural, but does it happen this young? Should I let her cruise around nekid so she can check things out without hiding and ripping off her diaper? I watch my nephew in the daytime now and she likes to sit and watch the diaper changes. She often points and asks her favorite phrase 'wassat?'. So I tell her. I'm just curious as to why she is so curious so young. I thought kids didn't start to wonder about these things until closer to 2. Right now it's just the rawest of curiosities, I figure it's like when she discovered she had fingers and toes.
Any advice? Suggestions? Experiences? Thanks.
But it's not just what's in her diaper she is interested in. It's also what her diaper is covering. When I change her her hands are automatically down there trying to check things out. Changing a poopy diaper has become a race so that she doesn't get her fingers in everything.
Now, she never goes without a diaper. Other then the worry of her peeing on the floor, I don't have anything against a nekid baby running around. But she has never had a diaper rash and has never needed to go free.
I know exploration of oneself is natural, but does it happen this young? Should I let her cruise around nekid so she can check things out without hiding and ripping off her diaper? I watch my nephew in the daytime now and she likes to sit and watch the diaper changes. She often points and asks her favorite phrase 'wassat?'. So I tell her. I'm just curious as to why she is so curious so young. I thought kids didn't start to wonder about these things until closer to 2. Right now it's just the rawest of curiosities, I figure it's like when she discovered she had fingers and toes.
Any advice? Suggestions? Experiences? Thanks.
I did try another approach- introducing the good kind of dirty. Finger painting, making mud pies in the yard, anything that feels sludgy and goopy. I'd rather clean up that mess in a controlled environment than have to spend 6 hours cleaning up after number 2 murals and still find surprises later.
I completely relate to the dirty diaper race! I am going through the same right now. Just yesterday, I heard the all too familiar grunt. In the time it took me to move a few feet, she already had it all over her clothes and all over the chair. After I set her down on her change mat, I turned my back to grab the change caddy. When I turned around, her feet were above her head and her diaper was off- all contents sprayed all over her and the bed. I don't think there's much you can do to prevent it from happening.
One useful bit of advice- if its possible, keep the exploring hand in the pants if you are lucky enough to catch your child in the act. I usually grab DD and wrap her in a big bath towel until I can get the situation under control. Otherwise, she will run up and down the halls and smear her fingers over everything within reach!
For me, this phase comes and goes. Just when I least expect it or let down my guard, she does it again. She did stop it for a month or two, then started it back up recently.