My 2 and a half year old is taking his diaper off and smearing it all over the place, how do I stop this?

[mrsmills393]

My Son is two and a half and has just recently started taking his diaper off and smearing the poop all over the place. How do I stop him from doing this?  I've been trying to get him to use the potty but he has Cerebral Palsy so him doing it himself is not an option and he refuses to let me know when he needs to go on the potty.  I've tried taping his diaper on, giving him timeouts when he takes his diaper off I've tried everything I can think of and I'm stumped. Any Ideas?

[margypops]

Supervision.... he cant do it if you are around  break the habit by being there in the room how about putting some of those pants on top of the diaper that have ties on the shoulders,dungarees',  he would have to get out of them first, also be more aware of his Bowel habits and take the poopy diaper away as he has finished ...

[mrsmills393]

I've tried the pants with the ties as well and somehow he still manages to get out of them, he only does it when he is down for his nap and I've been trying to get him before he pulls his diaper off and makes the "paintings" but it seems I can never get there soon enough to prevent it.  He also screams bloody murder every time I go and change his diaper, it's now turned into hitting and biting and screaming fits, I've tried showing him that getting his diaper changed isn't that big of a deal and if he doesn't want to have his diaper changed then he needs to start learning how to use the potty.  I'm so confused as to how to handle it.

[margypops]

He cant learn to use the potty you have to teach him, it doesnt happen otherwise, so start by sitting him on it quietly make no big issue of it but lots of praise and positive feedback especially if he does a pee in the potty. Take him to the potty regularly and it will become a habit, when you think he is ready you remove the diapers, if you want you can go to pull ups first as they are similar to big boy underwear, boys start off sitting down like girls then do the standing up later when they are older, it is simply routine, keep on doing it,,sometimes takes till they are 3 years old or more, the next step is to rmove the pullups and get him into big boy pants the ones with exciting super heroes on, the smae Super heroes who pee in their potties, or so you can tell him...you will have some accidents but thats okay its only a mop up. Cosistancy is the key no yelling ,no pressure just quiet positive encouragement ....

[mrsmills393]

Sorry I forgot to write that when he was 18 months old we started trying to potty train him and he knows how all of it works but everytime we sit him on the potty he starts freaking out, the last time I put him on the potty he told me his baby brother (10 months old) uses the potty and put him on the potty instead.  He went on the toilet for his first and only time 8 months ago and since then it has been the complete opposite.  He tells me "mommy, daddy and baby use potty but not me, no want potty".  I got one of those potty's that have the sounds and everything else hoping it would get him over his "fear" or what ever the issue is with the potty but that didn't work either.  

[margypops]

Ha Ha Ha , this is one clever boy who knows his own mind... you know my thought is chill out for a while , take a little break from it, maybe its over kill, he is getting attention from it all, so just dont bother for a couple of weeks, take the pressure off the start again, make no more metion ,yes you'll have to check out that pooping issue but also make no mention of the little brother going potty. Take a step back, so many times a step back helps and a new perspective appears. Good luck

[mrsmills393]

Thank you, I wasn't sure if a step back would help but I will try that it makes a lot of sense now that someone else has said it besides myself.  He's a very determined and clever boy and what he lacks in movement he makes up in knowledge and wit.  I will let you know if it helps or not!! I hope it does for my sanity sake, I have this thing for things not being unsanitary and I am constantly cleaning and sanitizing things, so hopefully the pooping in his bed and room will stop soon! I'm running out of energy cleaning it up every day!

[margypops]

That is what winds you up, so try to relax on the cleaning bit, you may find you feel bettter, do something instead fill up the gap that cleaning all the time fills, take a brisk walk make a phone call, read a book, do your nails. Play with your son....you'll never kill all the germs anyway .