1Yr Old Will Not Keep Diaper On!!!

Updated on August 16, 2010
H.M. asks from Elmira, NY
22 answers

My son will be 2 in October. He is one of three boys and I've gone through this before, but never this bad. He will not keep his diaper on. AT ALL! He takes his diaper off, throws it on the floor, and quite often he will immediately pee on it. I never potty trained my other two boys that soon and it seems too soon to soon to push it. He knows when he has to go, and has been doing this for a while. I've sat him on the potty and he's used it once, but until he is ready I don't know how to keep his diaper on. When I go into his room in the morning he will have taken all his clothes, and his diaper off. Most times he pees or poops in his bed and it is everywhere. He does the samething during the day. He will run around the house naked and fight me to put his clothes and diaper back on. Then once I get him dressed he will just do the same thing again. Any advice would be great! Thanks.

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M.L.

answers from New York on

Duct tape. ;-) A friend also recommended to me, when we had this issue, that I put my baby in a footy sleeper....cut the feet offf, and put it on backwards. That way the kid can't get the sleeper off. LOL

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

I've heard of moms putting clothes on backwards- like the pjs with feet and things to make it harder for them to get to the diaper. If it's too warm, you could cut them into shorts and short sleeves....

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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

Duct tape! It keeps the diaper on my almost two-year old twins. Just put a little piece across the tabs.

1 mom found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Provo on

I know you are probably using disposables, but with cloth diapers they make a cover that is shaped just like a diaper and goes on just like it to, but some are made with snaps. Perhaps you could try putting the cover over his diaper and have a harder time taking the diaper off.
I have also heard of people duct tapping the diaper on. I'm not sure if it was wrapped all the way around or just tabs.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.B.

answers from New York on

Clothes on backwards. Try all in one suits with zippers or onesies. And tape the diaper but do not get his skin. I would not worry so much about him wearing clothes. My daughter never wears clothes unless we go out. Maybe just let him wear the diaper??? (taped closed of course)
Good luck

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M.H.

answers from Harrisburg on

My daughter just recently started doing this.
We decided to cut the feet off of her sleepers and put them on her backwards and it works for us, lol.

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K.L.

answers from New York on

Duck tape the diaper on!! Lets see him get that off.

C.M.

answers from New York on

Hi,
This is going to sound extreme, but it might work in no time at all.
Why not try duct taping mittens on both hands at bedtime, and then again in the morning? That way he can't get his clothes and diapers off.
I think he is old enough that it will quickly sink in that if he wants his hands to be free, he will have to stop undressing himself!

Good luck!
"Grams"
from the Pocono Mts. of PA

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E.C.

answers from New York on

Here is my potty training in a day which has worked great with boys and girls - my friend who taught me about it trains her boys and girls just before age 2.

Potty Training in One Day

My friend taught me this and it worked, even with my child with special needs. Granted it took two days instead of one (and longer follow up).

The big idea is that you potty train your child in one day. You can start with a 2 year old. It’s best to do it before they get in to the ‘no’s, when they still want to please you. But it still works perfectly when they are older. It is not an issue of waiting until ‘they are ready’. I am not a naturally cheerful person, but I put on a big act all day. Amazing how it works. One cannot get angry or show frustration (trust me I know – I’ve done it with three kids). Cheerful! Happy! Enthusiastic!

You and your child spend the entire day from after breakfast until dinner in the bathroom. You fill them with as much liquid as possible as early as possible for as long as possible so they have to pee a lot and get to practice feeling the sensation of needing to pee a lot and of running to the potty a lot. If they take an afternoon nap, stop the liquid 2 hours before nap time (I diaper for the nap time, but my friend did not).

The child wears a tshirt and panties (thick training ones or thin normal ones) that she can pull down on her own easily.

You two play games, sing songs, have a great time together.

Then you say, “Are your panties dry?”
She feels her panties. “Yes!”
“Good job. You kept your panties dry! You get a skittle! Let’s run to the potty! Isn’t this fun?” You sit on the potty to show how much fun it is to do. She sits on the potty. Have a big drink of chocolate milk

The point is not to go pee on the potty or to wait until she goes on the potty. The point is to keep the panties dry (the derivative is that she pees in the potty).

Every few minutes you stop your song/game/puzzle and say, “Are your panties dry?”
She feels her panties. “Yes!”
“Good job. You kept your panties dry! You get a skittle! Let’s run to the potty! Isn’t this fun?” You sit on the potty to show how much fun it is to do. She sits on the potty. ! Have a big drink of chocolate milk!

Repeat every five/ten minutes. Eventually she will have drunk so much that she will have to go. It doesn’t matter if she has an accident. Be cheerful. “That’s okay. Let’s clean it up! (Have her help you.) Sit on the potty. Yeah! Let’s get on dry panties.’ In a few minutes, ask her, “Are your panties dry?”
She feels her panties. “Yes!”
“Good job. You kept your panties dry! You get a skittle! Let’s run to the potty! Isn’t this fun?” You sit on the potty to show how much fun it is to do. She sits on the potty. Have a big drink of chocolate milk.

In the afternoon, practice running from another room to the potty, repeat everything.

They will get a lot of practice feeling dry (treats), sitting on the potty (balance, coordination, success being independent). And eventually even peeing on the potty. The focus is on keeping their panties dry!

Before the Big Day
Let them be in a diaper. Don’t worry about potty training and previous struggles with it. For a week ahead of time, talk about what fun mommy and child are going to have, a whole day together – no sister, no daddy, no etc. We are going to have fun! You get to keep your panties dry! We will play! We will run to the potty! We will go peepee on the potty! So exciting.

The Big Day
Do not: answer the phone, check the computer, make dinner, call about the roofer coming.

Do: Put on an apron with good pockets filled with little favorite treats (skittles, m and ms, goldfish – whatever she doesn’t usually get). Fill sippy cups (stoppers out so easy to drink more fast) with whatever she will down huge amounts of (I never gave my kids full strength juiee or chocolate milk, but they got as much as they wanted that day). Stock the bathroom with toys, books (not a movie player), music, little puzzles. (Don’t have them all out to see and be overwhelmed with – have them in the bathroom closet or under the changing table – bring out a few things at a time to play with.

She will get lots of experience and joy out of keeping her panties dry and lots of experience running to the potty and experience in peeing in the potty. You are well on your way to having her out of diapers.

For the night time, I kept her in diapers. The reward for keeping her diaper dry for three nights in a row was getting to wear her panties to bed. Stop liquids of any kind 2 hours before bed. If she regularly has a wet diaper at night, no big deal. Tons of kids have small bladders. Just let it be. Make it a big deal to get to wear panties, but not cajoling/punishing/teasing/stressing about it. One of my girls wore diapers to bed for quite a while after being fully potty trained during the day.

You’ll do a great job!

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R.Q.

answers from New York on

I second "EC" Show your son where the potty is and if he pees on the bed or somewhere else, gently remind him pee goes in the potty. Let him have plenty of "nakey time" and don't stress if he's "not getting it" just put the diaper on after he's had an hour or so of diaper free time and tell him he can take it off and pee in the potty if/when he wants to.

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N.D.

answers from New York on

If he knows he has to go, he is ready for the potty. Next time he takes his diaper off get all excited, clap your hands and make a game out of rushing to the potty. Keep saying yippee and good boy etc. If he refuses to use the potty, say thats ok son, but you CAN NOT pee and poop anywhere but the potty or diaper. Try training pants during the day. Diapers are uncomfortable. If he refuses and continues to pee wherever, tell him NO!!! and give him a consequence. If he is smart enough to take his clothes off, he is smart enough to understand consequences.

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F.K.

answers from Charlotte on

My son went thru a phase where he did that too. He was especially bad about it at naptime. I bought swim diapers and Pampers Easy Ups. They don't have velcro tabs and they pull on like underwear so they are harder to take off. So I would put an Easy Up or swim diaper on my son, then put a tight fitting onesie (a size or two too small) over it. The onesie would be snug enough that he couldn't fit his hand in to tear his diaper out or unsnap the crotch and too tight to wiggle out of it. Then I would put his pjs or his pants over the onesie. He practically lived in those tight fitting onesies but it was the only way to keep him from taking off his diaper and then making a mess in his crib. I hope you find something that works for you. I know what a mess they can make when they remove their diaper. I can't tell you how many times I have had to disinfect the crib, mattress, sheets, etc. I feel for you. Good luck!

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Duct tape, Start in the back and then end in the back. Do not get it on his skin..

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A.C.

answers from Detroit on

A friend who was a nanny (with the parents' permission) put duct-tape around the waist of the pants. NOT ON THE SKIN OF COURSE. She mainly did this for night and naps - same problem with the baby taking off the diaper and going in the corner of the crib. They always knew it happened when they heard a little voice happily say through the monitor, "Poo poo potty!"

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J.G.

answers from New York on

Look up Elimination Communication; get some books or attend a class and start potty training him. Any insinuation that he's too young is Freudian and silly. We are having similar issues and I am taking a class on Saturday. I can't wait to be done with diapers. She hates them as much as I do! Its exhausting and upsetting to fight them; just flow with them.
Its a lot easier!
Good luck

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A.G.

answers from New York on

DUCK TAPE!!!!! A piece across the tabs did the trick for both my daughters and they were "trying out" for a nudist colonie I think!!! HINT: Use real "Duck Tape" and not the cheap stuff and NEVER get it on their skin because it hurts coming off!

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N.B.

answers from Jamestown on

Three out of my 4 children went through this phase. I ended up just having "naked time" for them an hour a day.

I don't think you would be pushing the potty training issue. Sounds like he's already wanting to.

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T.F.

answers from New York on

Please do not duct tape or put any kind of tape on your child!!! I can't believe someone in 2010 actually suggested that. I do think he's telling you he's ready for potty training. I think it will still be messy for a while, but try it out! Maybe you can set an alarm and try to get him to use the potty at night before he takes all his clothes off. Let us know how it goes, because I think that's around the corner for me!

C.R.

answers from Dallas on

Duct tape. Cut it in half to make a thinner strip and wrap it ALL the way around making sure to cover the tab area. If you have a Sam's or Costco card, all the better buying in a bundle. Been there, done that ;)
C.

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S.H.

answers from Buffalo on

Maybe this is his way of telling you he is ready to be potty trained. If he "knows when he has to go" then he could be told to go in the potty. My 3 boys were all trained at 2 so it is possible. If you're not ready though then, that is another story.
Good luck.

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T.Q.

answers from Albany on

As far as the night time and nap time is concerned, put him in button or zip PJ's and put them on backwards so the zipper is in the back.... or use one of those sleeping bags and put it on backwards (we did this when my son was climbing out of the crib because he couldn't lift his leg up and over while wearing it). You could also try putting pull-ups on him... they are actually harder to get out of I think... especially if you get them on the smaller side so they are tight. That could atleast buy you some time while you get to him, or maybe it will annoy him enough to deter him. You can also try putting the diaper on backwards and adding some duct tap to the tabs.... Just some ideas. Good Luck!

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S.C.

answers from Tampa on

If this is an ongoing problem for you (having your baby remove his diaper and relieving himself around the house), I can help. I have a new baby product (Diaper Belt) that I will be bringing to market very soon that addresses this problem. I can send you a sample of this product for free if you would like. I created the Diaper Belt because I had the same problem with my son when he was 21 months. He would constantly remove his diaper and relieve himself everywhere around the house, just not on the potty. Once the Diaper Belt was put on he was unable to remove his diaper and would come to me or my wife to let us know when he needed to go. We would then take him to the bathroom and teach him the proper place to relieve himself. This stopped all the messy cleanups and accelerated his potty training as well. Please send me an e-mail if you would like me to send you one of my sample belts absolutely free, including shipping, for you to try. The only thing I ask is that you fill out a very short questionnaire about the product for my market research. I can be reached at ____@____.com

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