# 2.5 year old peeing all over the place, on purpose! ARRGGH!



## AppleCrisp

DS (almost 3) has started peeing all over the place on purpose every time I leave him alone in his room. He thinks its hilarious. When he wakes up from his nap or during his quiet times, he takes off his clothes, and pees all over the bed, carpets, pillows, etc. I can't leave him alone in there at all anymore. I can't get through to him - he just laughs at me no matter what I say or do. I tried a onesie, and he figured out how to get it off. Any ideas? I'm sure its a phase related to potty learning (he's really aware of it right now), but I've had to wash all his sheets, mattress pad, pillows, and clean the carpets over and over, and I'm at my wits end! Of course, it gets him lots of attention too, so that also reinforces him. Any ideas or experience with this?

TIA!


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## Evan&Anna's_Mom

The clear proaction option here is not to leave him alone in his room. It's fun to aim (I assume), it gets lots of attention, its a way to express how he feels about naps or being alone... from his perspective, it all makes sense.

DS did this when DD was born -- every time I nursed her he would pee. I couldn't stop nursing but I did change the routine so he didn't feel so excluded and he got a "special treat" as well each time.

Oh, and I highly recommend Nature's Miracle to get out the smel.


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## mama_mojo

Kids this age have SUCH a sense of humor... What if you gave him fun places to pee? When DS was that age, he ALWAYS peed in the backyard. You would see him make a mad dash from his room, past the bathroom, and out the back door. Is there something like this your DS could do? I mean, really, it IS a little funny... Exasperating, but funny? Right?


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## UUMom

So, don't leave him alone. If you know he wakes after 90 minutes, you get there at 80 etc.


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## Deer Hunter

I'm thinking that he is resenting you for being left alone. He is trying to tell you something. I love the suggestion from UU Mom. It is a good one.


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## elizawill

my son was a lot like that too. he'll be 5 in march. he actually didn't potty train until he was 3 and even once he did potty train.... he would pee all over just for fun, especially on his carpet! gross. he also loved to pee his pants and then announce that the dog did it (my poor jack russell). or sometimes he would say a bunny rabbit went potty in his pants. ha ha, soooo silly!!! i never tried to react. if he peed on something (like his carpet..and always the same spot!). i would just say, "accident's happen, but they still need to be cleaned up". then i would have him help clean. if his clothes were wet, he was in charge of putting them in the laundry room and getting clean clothes on, etc. the main thing is not to react & then to have him help with cleaning whatever mess is made, yk? at least this is what worked for my son. good luck & hugs to you. i hope you can laugh about it one day


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## quietserena

how about a baby monitor and at the first sign that he's awake you run in there and get him before he's had a chance to do anything? and no alone time in the room?


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## New_Natural_Mom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elizawill* 
i would just say, "accident's happen, but they still need to be cleaned up". then i would have him help clean. if his clothes were wet, he was in charge of putting them in the laundry room and getting clean clothes on, etc. the main thing is not to react & then to have him help with cleaning whatever mess is made, yk? at least this is what worked for my son. good luck & hugs to you. i hope you can laugh about it one day









this is good advice.


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## Caneel

I have no advice to give, just chimming in to say we have the same thing going on in our house, sigh...

Further, the dog and the bunny story made me laugh out loud.


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## sarahr

Have you tried a onesie on inside out? Much harder to get undone (for you too!)


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## chfriend

How about naps on the couch and co-sleeping? At 2.5, I just kept my kids in the same room with me pretty much all the time.

Also, laughing about it helps. My brother calls this phase the "floor training" phase. His are now 14 and 12 and they reliably use the potty everytime.

But we still laugh about the time the younger one climbed on his changing table to see if he could pee into the humidifier. His aim was surprisingly accurate.

I promise. It passes quickly.

So we keep 'em close and clean up accidents without any particular comment.


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## mum21andtwins

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elizawill* 
i would just say, "accident's happen, but they still need to be cleaned up". then i would have him help clean. if his clothes were wet, he was in charge of putting them in the laundry room and getting clean clothes on, etc. the main thing is not to react & then to have him help with cleaning whatever mess is made, yk? at least this is what worked for my son. good luck & hugs to you. i hope you can laugh about it one day









this and a bucket is what worked for my ds he had a pee bucket half filled with water and a coloured pingpong ball he loved peeing on the ball then 2 days after the twins where born (a week after his third bday) he just decide to use the bucket all the time and pottytrained overnight day & night


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## bscal

Sorry... I just couldn't help myself. The mental images I have of little boys running around peeing everywhere in their rooms cackling with glee is just too much. (And I know I've just totally jinxed myself and my DS will be peeing all over in about 6 mos or so.)

Anyhow, I don't think it's just a boy thing though... my DDs both went through a phase when they got up from nap, took all their clothes off and peed on the floor, bed, in the toybox full of stuffed animals, etc. Both of them still needed a nap at the time and would not nap in the room with me... so I put them down for nap as usual and grabbed the baby monitor. I keep it hooked onto my pants pocket or sitting on the nearest table... and it's turned up loud enough that you can hear the child breathing.

GL, I have BTDT.

Beth


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## green_sturgeon

Yeah, my 26 month old DS finds it funny to pee in all sorts of places too - and usually when I am nearby and can "admire" his handywork. Once he climbed on the kitchen table to pee into my glass of water that was sitting there - and yes, his aim was very accurate.

I also have him help me clean up, and I give him a choice of acceptable places to pee - in his potty, in the shower, standing on a stool so he can reach the regular toilet, or outside (it's pretty cold here right now, but that doesn't always stop him). This seems to be working for us.

ETA: Good luck and hang in there - hopefully it won't last too long.


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## elizawill

Quote:


Originally Posted by *green_sturgeon* 
Once he climbed on the kitchen table to pee into my glass of water that was sitting there - and yes, his aim was very accurate.

ha! that reminds me of something my son did. the neighbors were over about a year ago. the kids were watching tv, eating popcorn, drinking juice...whatever. i'm in the bedroom folding clothes & all of a sudden i hear all of the kids screaming EWWWWWWWW ....GRRRROOOOSSSSSSSS....

i run in & find my son totally naked and peeing in a glass!!! he thought it was awesome. needless to say, i threw the glass away.

ha ha, i mean.... WHAT??? WHY??? seriously!!

some things i'll just never understand


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## luv2bamommy2

Peeing is nothing...my 2 little nieces used to poop everywhere and play in it. It was totally GROSS!!! Then one day my mom said to my sister-in-law, "Could the girls be vying for your attention? Get some BIG pieces of paper or cardboard, crayons or colored pencils and let them go at it!"

That evidently was the problem, because as soon as they had some other way of expressing themselves the poop art stopped!

I think elizawill has the best suggestion


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## carolina~mom2be

this is the best thread ever!!! It's hilarious!
I'm sorry that you're dealing with this, but we're having accidents on the floors too. Sometimes when dd is coloring or playing, she forgets to go sit on the potty and just goes right in the floor ~ Usually I find it funny, but it can get annoying







We all understand and I promise that you'll laugh about it.... Just think, you can tell his girlfriends all about it one day!


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## mamaduck

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mum21andtwins* 
this and a bucket is what worked for my ds he had a pee bucket half filled with water and a coloured pingpong ball he loved peeing on the ball then 2 days after the twins where born (a week after his third bday) he just decide to use the bucket all the time and pottytrained overnight day & night

I think this is a great idea! We used to put cheerios in the toilet and tell the boys to aim for them. I think the concept of making it "Fun" but keeping it appropriate is probably the best way to go. Everybody wins.


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## LianneM

Just wanted to give a BTDT







to you! It's a phase and hopefully it won't last long for you.

We also let DS go in the backyard which helped a lot. If that isn't an option in winter, the bucket is a great idea.

I also 2nd the advice not to leave him alone if you suspect he might do it, and to expect him to help clean up.


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## AppleCrisp

Thanks for all the replies....al very funny. We haven't had any incidents lately, although he did proudly pee on the little potty and triumphantly dump it in the sink, right on the turkey my husband was washing up for dinner.

Inside out onesie....GREAT idea!

As far as not leaving him alone...DH is away most of the time, so there are times when I really need a break. I'm pregnant too. I was hoping that even if he wouldn't nap, he would at least read quietly or play toys, but of course, why do that when you have a built in toy to play with? Once I waited on a pillow right outside his room, and the little stealth stinker still did it as quietly as possible.

I do make him clean up the rug, and put his clothes in the wash.

Also, I guess I was thinking, how do you explain to a 2 year old that urinating on your belongings is not appropriate? I'm not sure there IS a way...but thank you so much for telling me that other kids go through this phase too! It seems to have subsided.


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## mamaduck

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AppleCrisp* 
he did proudly pee on the little potty and triumphantly dump it in the sink, right on the turkey my husband was washing up for dinner.

So -- did you eat the turkey anyway???


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## AppleCrisp

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamaduck* 
So -- did you eat the turkey anyway???











Erm....let's just say that DH didn't tell me about it until a few days later


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## mamaduck




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## moondiapers

I'd use a blanket sleeper without feet and put it on backwards and put a little stitch with a needle and thread just under the zipper so that he can't take it off.


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## AppleCrisp

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moondiapers* 
I'd use a blanket sleeper without feet and put it on backwards and put a little stitch with a needle and thread just under the zipper so that he can't take it off.


Oh WHY did it take this many peeings for me to discover this?!


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## Think of Winter

My son did this, too. And for quite a while. He just loved peeing on things. Inside, outside, anywhere. He outgrew it.









I don't think that I had a huge affect on how quickly he outgrew it, but we did say, "yuck, pee goes in the toilet/diaper only!" I also say things like, "I can't read that book now, because first I have to clean the carpet and put your wet clothes in the wash."

IMO, 2 1/2 is awfully young to be making him clean a carpet.


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## Xoe

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Think of Winter* 
.....IMO, 2 1/2 is awfully young to be making him clean a carpet.

No, I don't agree. If parents present cleaning as drudgery, it will always be drudgery. If it's fun or meditative, or "important, big people's work" then it will be those things. Life is what you make it. Granted, a 2.5 year old doesn't do a good job of cleaning things. But I think teaching them to clean, or letting them clean with you is an important form of imitative play. Even my 15 month old _tries_ to clean things. If you get them cleaning when they still think it's fun, you are less likely to have a hard time getting them to clean up their own (and other's) messes when they are older. My 4 year old has volunteered to clean since she as about 18 months old. She likes playing with soap and water and making circles with a sponge. She likes to use the spray bottle. She wants to help me clean dishes and stack the dishwasher. (We just got a learning stand for $15 so that she and the 15 month old can help. But before that, I let her use a small step ladder.) She has a toy vacuum cleaner, a kiddie mop and a broom. She also helps with laundry. Now granted, she's not much help to me, she's more of an interruption. But to stop her from cleaning at 4 would be like cutting of my nose to spite my face, cause I'm really going to expect her to help when she's 15!


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## elizawill

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Think of Winter* 

IMO, 2 1/2 is awfully young to be making him clean a carpet.

yea, i think if a parent uses cleaning up as punishment, that's wack. but to have a 2 year old help clean up a mess simply because that's part of life. i mean, if we make messes - well...we have to clean them up. no big deal.


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## mommymay3

I have a step daughter that will be 3 in a couple months. She has been potty trained and had no accidents what so ever. All of a sudden a couple weeks ago when she came over for her visit with us, she was peeing her pants and still to this day has been doing it. After having no accident at all for months, all of a sudden this starts going on. we asked her mother what was going on and she just said she gets preoccupied. She has brothers and a sister when she comes to our house but never has wet her pants. We dont know where he mother lives and we are in the process of fighting for custody because she isnt taking care of her correctly and family services has been involved since her birth because of drugs. Could something have happened that we are not noticing or is this normal???? I have 3 children and never has this happened to me.


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