# Attachment to Dirty Diapers



## happytrails (Nov 30, 2006)

Four times in the past week my 20 month old son has thrown major tantrums (the biggest ones for him) because he wants me to put back on his dirty diaper. Three were heavy morning diapers and one was a poopy diaper. Of course, I say no and it has taken awhile to calm him down. I try to explain to him why, but he just doesn't seem to care. He just stands by the garbage can screaming to give him his diaper back. Has anyone have had this happen with their child? Or have you heard of this? Any tips on how to handle this? It's very strange!


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## Ornery (May 21, 2007)

:

That is my 20 mo right now. It doesn't always happen, but occasionally he gets really upset about it. I just explain it in very simple terms, comfort him for a minute and then walk away and start playing with something he finds fascinating (i.e, cat, playdough, crayons, blocks, etc). Usually, he will be upset for a minute and then come play with me.

I don't remember my older children ever doing this so it is definitely new territory for me.

Good luck.


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## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

AArrgghh, my 28 month old does it too! We use cloth so she will unzip the bag to try to dig it back out, only wet ones though, she finally hates poopy!


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## AugustineM (Mar 21, 2005)

My DS used to hate to have his morning diaper taken off -- I think it was because he got cold. He didn't ask to have it put back on, but he'd cry and try to keep me from taking it off.

My DD (16 mo) definitely has an interest/attachment to her dirty diapers -- especially poopy ones. She's fascinated by poop of all kinds (horse poop, chicken poop, her brother's poop in the potty...














). So when I change a poopy diaper of hers she wants to stare at it, say "poo poo" a hundred times, point at it, stick her tongue out, and then when I throw it away she cries and would try to get it back if I didn't put the garbage up high. I think for her it's just a fascination with it.

I think just what you're doing is fine... explain, distract, don't make a big deal out of it. This too will pass.

I hope.









-- I just had another thought... have you been trying to potty train at all? I know sometimes if children aren't ready for potty training they can start to have a real attachment to diapers and a fear that they will be taken away.


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

My DS is 3, and still no interest in potty. But lately he has been upset about me "taking away" his dirty diaper. I am stealing something that belongs to him, and he is curious what I am stealing. So I just say "No, it is a stinky diaper, it is going in the bin" - but I also unroll it, and show him all the poop in there, and frankly it made it a lot better. He could see what I was taking and decided it wasn't worth having. So, yea, a little gross, but if you show them (not in s nasty-icky way, but in a scientific here-it-is, this is what it is sort of way) then it is totally OK, at least in our house.


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## TwinMom (Dec 27, 2001)

My 2.5-year old does this, too. I remember his brother doing it, but the other kids are old enough that I don't remember if they did it or not. It drives me CRAZY. At this point, I can't change him unless he asks me to, even if I can SEE that his diaper is waaaay full of pee. It's just not worth the screaming, hitting, and kicking that happens during the changing and then the hour-long tantrum afterward when I won't put the wet diaper back on him.


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

I read a theory once that because the poop came out of the child, the child feels part of THEM will be lost and it freaks them out. Maybe this is the same reason haircuts really alarm some children.


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## celestialdreamer (Nov 18, 2004)

My 18 month old is doing this as well as stealing his dirty clothes out of the laundry after I throw them in the basket. I usually just distract him


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## dawncayden (Jan 24, 2006)

I found that when I started letting ds help me with laundry, he's started understanding the whole clean and dirty thing.
He helps me empty the pail into the washer and push the 'on' button. Then he helps put them all in the dryer. He even helps fold them and put them on their shelf.
Now when I see his interest in his dirty diaper, I try to get him to put it in the pail or beside the toilet so I can rinse it out.


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