18 Month Old Will Not Stop Taking Clothes and Diapers Off

I have tripletgranddaughters and they did the exact same thing. The only way my son and DIL solved the problem was to put packaging tape on them. Eventually they stopped since they couldn't get them off. It worked well. I think they used the tape for about 4-5 mths. The girls just gave up since they couldn't get them off. The sleepers they put on the zipper went in the back. A lot of the morning they still would strip their clothes off, but the diapers stayed on...good luck

I am first reading this so it is late getting to you but here goes anyway. Have you talked to them about "potty" they may be ready to stay dry at night? It is worth a try considering everything else you have done. Talk to them and get them some of the newest "training" panties (yes pink for girls and blue for boys) then practice using the potty all day and especially at night before bed-if they wet or mess let them "help" with the clean up-they can put the messe-ies in a pail (don't even think about the toilet-that will be a bigger problem-use a pail) then get them some of those great new kiddy wipes just for the little guys and training. it is worth a try after all you are dealing with three and if they are advanced enough look how much ahead you will be...good luck.

If the other suggestions do not work or she becomes very upset not being able to take her clothes off, you may want to talk to her pediatrician or an occupational therapist about some sort of sensory issue. Some children with issues like this don't like the feeling of their clothes on their skin or tags touching them, etc.

I just saw your update , but I missed the original post. Here is a link to an item I had come across to help kids from taking off their sleepers and diapers. I never purchased one, but kept the link "just in case" I needed it for my daughter or any of our friends. I also heard excellent reviews on it as well.

http://www.littlekeepersleeper.com/store/Default.asp

oh my gosh- did you check to see if she is allergic to something in the material? Something in what you wash the clothes in-
please- she takes them off for a reason and now you are figuring out how to trap her in them
I am sure you really don't want to make your child a prisoner of something that irriatates her skin, right?
Don't make this a war of wills- really look for the underlying cause.
I have used ChildrensBehaviorHelp.com, but before that I would find someone who uses Nutritional Response Technique to check her for allergic reaction to something in the clothes
Best of luck to you AND to your daughter-k

I didnt' see your original request, but I have twin daughters, who when they were about 18 months took all clothes off, including poopy or pee diapers during nap times. We resorted to using onsies again, after we stopped using them, and they rarely were able to take them off. Eventually they grew out of this. Good luck.

L.: I had this situation too, a very dirty crib and she wiped all over the walls too. I think she thought she was finger painting lol. :0). Anyway, the onesie worked for me, but I also put shorts over it and kept pulling them up if she pulled them down. Some kids just don't like much clothing when they were young. She was one of them.

Take care,
K.

My daughter did that for a couple of weeks. She was doing it because she thought it was funny. Maybe if you let her pick out her clothes? I know she is still little, but maybe she will like that she helped and keep her clothes on? I let my daughter pick out her diaper and help put it on (they were pull ups). She stopped undressing herself after that. It may have been a huge coincidence, but it's worth a try!

I put pants under a onesie that snaps under the crotch. I snap the shirt over the pants because she was just taking the pants off and pulling the diaper off through her shirt. My daughter started doing that a little while back and this seems to have solved the problem until she figures out the snaps. Tape was going to be my next option if this hadn't worked. Hopefully the problem has already gotten better. You must really have your hands full with triplets, but more to love too. Best of luck to you!

Have you tried using different laundry detergents and fabric softeners? There are many great alternatives that are natural and do not irritate skin. What do you wash your children with? Natural products are available that are ph balanced and do not irritate the skin. There is a great book called "Green Goes with Everything" by Sloan Barnett which explains about the chemicals in products. You are welcome to contact me if you would like help in finding products that may help. Some places to look are PCC, Real Goods, Shaklee, Seventh Generation.

One of my kids did this for a while. The sleeper backwards thing worked pretty well, sometimes. Another thing to try is to duck tape around the top of the diaper. It makes it much harder to take off. Another thing that seemed to slow her down (at leasr a little bit) is making her clean up the mess herself. She really didn't like that too much. I really feel your pain. Good luck!!

Sorry...I am chuckling a bit over this:) My son did the same thing and I remember my husband pulling out the duct tape to wrap around his diaper, no it didn't hurt him it just went around the diaper and covered the tabs so he couldn't pull it off. Son did not like the tape, he understood why it was there....so in exchange for no tape he quit taking off the diaper w/o asking first. Good luck.

My daughter is the same way. Is it a girl thing, maybe? Anyway, a couple of things have worked for me.

I had some zip-up footed pajamas that she was about to grow out of so I decided to cut the feet completely off of them so I could put them on my daughter backwards. With the zipper at the back of her neck (and that little snap-tab thing covering it) she wasn't able to get her jammies off and make a poop mess. I tried the same thing with the jammies that have snaps and she was able to pull them off anyway, so I guess the zipper is critical here.

Another thing that I discovered by accident was putting her in footed-pajamas (the correct way) and then adding a snug t-shirt or tank-top over it. With the zipper/snaps covered up by the t-shirt, she wasn't able to get them open and off. This option might not work for the more dedicated escape-artists but it was enough of a deterrent for my baby girl. Thank heavens, because I didn't think I could take another midnight crib sterilizing.

Best of luck to you...

I had a girlfriend that had this same issue with her special needs daughter so what she would do at night in particular was to put her in a one piece sleeper backward so the zipper was in the back and she was not able then to get it off. I hope this helps and blessings with the triplets!!

My boys did this. I found I had to put the blanket sleeper pajamas on inside out with the zipper on the inside. They then couldn't get their jammies off. This lasted a short while. For summer, I would try putting them on backwards so snaps are in the back, and difficult to get to. Also would consider one piece union suits. Not as easy to change diaper, but if you put it on backward, with the snaps that go up the torso in the back, it should be very difficult to get off, and get to the diaper.
Good luck. My boys didn't seem to have sensory disorders, and they did this, so because it can be that doesn't mean your girls have this.
R.

Hi L....I just read your email for the first time, and haven't read any of the responses, so don't know if anyone came up with the possibility that your daughter is having a reaction to fire retardant or artificial man-made fibers in her clothes and I presume paper diapers? She could have a skin allergy? Have you noticed any rash or skin flushing? Just a thought. Does she do the same thing no matter what she is wearing...cotton vs. polyester or even cotton vs. organic cotton??? Like I say, just a thought. Be Peace, Nz

PS. God bless you having triplets! How fun is that! I had twins and an 18 month old...but triplets! Oh my my my. :)

L.,
I had this problem with my son (but strangely, not his twin sister.) The problem I found with taping the diaper was that he could eventually wriggle out of it anyway. I don't know if anyone else with this experience has mentioned this but, it only lasted a few months and his attention moved on to something else. I feel for you though. I cleaned that crib, that baby, those sheets & that wall more than once when I was bleary-eyed from sleep deprivation. Just another one of those "joys of motherhood" that nobody tells you about ahead of time! Good luck & hang in there. It will pass.

Try cutting off the feet of a sleeper with zippers and putting them on her backwards and night and naps. I've also hear that a onesie backwards makes the snaps harder to undo. Good luck!

I had issues with that for my daughter too. I got real good at cleaning poop out of crevices of the crib (just what you never thought of for a "mom skill"). I moved her crib away from the wall, so that the poop did not get all over the walls.

With my daughter (and some other kids) it is a sensory thing. They like the feel of poop and don't like the feel of clothes. If you have other developmental concerns I would suggest that you discuss it with your pediatrician.

My daughter could take of PJ's that snapped in the midsection without unsnapping the PJ's. I remember my husband went to her room one night and he said that it was like she had disappeared because her PJ's were in a pile on the floor still snapped up( I guess she climbed out the neck of the PJ's). She was sitting naked on the bed.

Well, I cannot offer advice, but I wanted to tell you that my youngest sister used to do that all the time (NEVER a mess, though. Strange.), and my daughter as well. We, and Grandma once, have woken to find nice big messes all over the crib. Nia doesn't really strip at night anymore unless she's hot. I'm sure it's just a phase; children seem to be most content in the clothes they were born in. :)

Hi L.,

My daughter did the same thing at the same age. After 2 months of trying to get her to keep her clothes on, I bought her a potty, showed her how to use it and then let her run around naked for 2 weeks (at home only of course) while she potty trained. Now I have a 21 month old potty trained daughter who leaves her clothes on during the day. :)

Best wishes to you with those triplets! :)

Sarah

I have 20 month old trips, and my daughter has been doing that for 6 months. she will not keep her diaper on, but only once has gotten it off through a onesie. I have been thinking of exploring potty training with her, just to see if she is ready to start. I have read it is a sign they are ready to start trying?

L.,
I just want to second what Laura O. suggested. I am a early childhood interventionist. Children with sensory issues are sensitive to certain things touching them. But there are some simple and effective ways to desensitize. One of them is a surgical scrub brushing technique. So I would suggest seeing a good occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration. Services are free for children under 3.
Good luck!
Victoria

Ok - I went thru this problem with my now 3 yr old. She would NOT keep her clothes on no matter what. I didn't have a problem with her being naked but I did have a problem with cleaning up her messes. As bad as this sounds, we got to the point where we wound a small strip of duct tape around the waist of the diaper (we did not put any on her skin. She figured it out when we just did the tabs so we had to go completely around the waist and put the ends in the back where she couldn't get to them. She eventually got over the phase and moved on to something else to make us crazy. LOL Good Luck!!!

Hi L.,

It may just be Houdini genius in the make. But there are two other possibilities, one that I didn't see anyone mention. She may be just plain hot. Some kids are warm blooded and don't like a lot of clothes.

The other thing I wanted to suggest, is that if this is a clothing allergy issue or an allergy to the laundry detergent, there are answers for that. Laundry detergent makes me itch. I've switched to All Free & Clear, and I don't have a problem with that anymore.

If it's clothes, you might be able to try an undyed organic cotton sleeper.

All the best, E.

I am going through this now and my daughter is 16 months old. She loves to run around with nothing on i guess.

Hi L.,

We had the same problem with our oldest one. What we did we took her pijamas (onesies) cut the feet off (or not) and have the zipper in the back and that really worked (especially if you have a problem with that at night). It took a while but she eventually stopped. In desperate times (and this might seem little too drastic) but my husband have actually put some tape around the diaper with the end in the back). I hope some of this works for you. Good luck.

T..

Try turning her sleeper around at night so that the buttons/zipper are in the back.

Have you tried putting the sleeper on backwards--witht he zipper in the back? That's what worked for us.

Hi L., I have the perfect fix for you. My brother who also has triplets went through the same situation. They created a product that will solve this problem and works great. The website is: www.littlekeepersleeper.com. Check it out. The sleeper not only zips from the backside it has an additional snap locking system that prevents them from getting out of the sleeper. I can get you 10% off by using code: lks10sp at checkout.

Good Luck!

PJ's and onsies didn't work for me. My daughter still ended up naked at the end of the night with a wet bed or she spent hours screaming because she couldn't get the clothes off. I tried putting her diapers on backwards. I also bought my daughter big girl panties. She was very excited to have Princess and Tinkerbell panties. She kept them on and didn't take off her diaper after that.

Safety pin across the zipper, tape (packing/wrapping/duct) around diaper waistband. just end the tape in the back before they overlap (or add scissors to your diaper changing supplies!)

I remember the Poop Paint years ago. I must have accidentally scared my daughter from doing it again, because at the time I was a divorced mom and stressed and grossed out by all of it painted every where around the crib and wall. I was so distraught that I was mad at her, and yelled, "NO NO NO" the entire time I cleaned it up. I hope she doesn't need therapy later in life for that moment, but she she didn't do it again. I'm just being honest here as I'm by no means a perfect mom, and when I'm mad about something the kids know it, but I don't hold grudges, or treat them with any passive-aggressive silent behaviors. When it's done, it's done and we move one. I'm certainly not recommending yelling, like I did, but don't hide your displeasure with her behavior either.
Good Luck!

Have you tried putting her diaper on backwards so the tabs are in the back??? This way she can't get to it.

You could always try cloth diapers with snaps, they are pretty tough for little ones to take off! My daughter can remove the cloth diapers with velcro with no problem, but not once has she been able to remove her snapping diapers

I also had a friend that would put her son's sleeper on backward and safety pin the zipper, it was the only thing that worked for her.

I feel your pain my son who does the same thing has ever since he was about 8 months old. ( he can get out of any outfit) I finally got tired so i bought him a potty chair. He is using it now even on his own and he is 20 months old try buying a potty. My mom tried the duct tape trick when my sister was little but she would just dig around the duct tape to get to her paint. Hope this helps a little

Smart little girl. They do it because they can and If I know girls just because it bugs you. Try putting the diaper on backwards. Good luck.

One thing you could do with a sleeper that has a zipper is to pin a safety pin across the teeth just under the zipper when it is zipped up, so that it can't come down - at least until she masters safety pins! :-)

I am not sure about the clothing, but if you use a cloth diaper with snaps she won't be able to get them undone most likely. Good luck. I know it's annoying but it is humorous to thing about . I have a 19 month old that is just so funny and does the silliest things. We laugh a lot lately.

Peace, S.