My 2 and a half year old daughter keeps taking all of her clothes off! All of her clothes and the diaper. Unless we are training with panties, then it is all of her clothes and her panties! She only does it when she is alone. Usually in bed or when she is having some quiet time. And she keeps it off until one of us comes in and realizes what she did. She does it about 3 or 4 times a day. The last couple times she actually came out to where we all were, naked. I used to think it was due to her diaper being full, but she does it when it is completely dry. I think she might be doing it for attention, maybe? I punish her every time, I have made her sit in her room or I have shut off the TV if she is watching it. I have taken things away and done time out. I have tried sitting with her and simply asking why she is doing it. And she says, "I don't know." Or she says "Sorry." She sounds sincere, but I can not figure out why she is doing this or how to stop it. I know she is not allergic to anything, so that is ruled out. Any advice?
I read all of the comments and I guess I should clarify...It isn't really the nakedness I have a problem with. I allow her to run around in her diaper from time to time. It is the completely naked part that is causing a problem. And that is a problem because she is going to the bathroom on the couch and all over the beds. A few times on the floor even. (it is not fun finding little pebbles that have rolled out into some hiding place!) Is it normal for toddlers to go to the bathroom 7 or 8 times a day? I am also concerned because she will get naked when the house is freezing! (It is not the greatest time in our economy to have the central heat on 24/7) And her poor little toes and fingers will be ice sickles. I probably should have been more specific when I was stating the problem. When I allow her to take off any amount of clothing I feel like it is just that much easier and closer to taking her diaper off so I felt like that was the problem to fix when I stated my question. I have figured out on my own that punishing her isn't the solution because it wasn't working and I came to mama source for answers. I just don't know what else to do about it. Going through all of our sheets in a day or changing sheets in the middle of the night does not feel like my ONLY option.
Oh...and thank you for the advice everyone! Even though I say I am OK with the "nakedness" thing, this has turned into a power struggle and somewhere in there I lost sight as to what MY real issue is. That is probably why I came off the way I did in the beginning. So thank you ladies, for reminding me....
My son is the same age and does this all the time as well. I just let him be free, and know that it is just a stage. :) Nothing to worry about.
this is a normal behavior for a 2 year old she probably doesn't think she is doing anything wrong and I don't think she should be punished for it. my son is almost 2 and as soon as we walk in the house he wants all of his clothes off, except diaper. but this is completely normal. she will grow out of it. my 2 older kids did.
What a clever and competent little girl!! Some children do not know how to completely undress or dress themselves until they are 4. I think she may be just showing off how good she is at doing this. Taking off is much easier than putting on.
Praise her instead of punishing her for being so good at dress skills and start to emphasize the other half of the equation. Let her help pick out what she will wear and let her try to do the dressing part. Tell her what to start with and patiently watch and let her know how proud you are that she has this skill while she slowly (Sit down because this may take some time...) puts on each item. Let her look in the mirror and see the final result so she likes how she looks with the clothes she has chosen and has put on ALL BY HERSELF. I hope this helps
Good luck with your very clever advanced little girl. she will keep you on your toes.
N. ( great grandma_)
Toddlers love to be naked! It feels so much better to have your clothes off. If you're around the house, just let her be. Don't make a big deal out of it. It's just a phase. You can set some reasonable limits like not taking your clothes off in public. But, otherwise, just relax and let her grow out of it.
I think it is just a stage. I remember my cousins daughter did the same thing around that age for a while. She wont do it forever and she might do it more because she knows she gets a reaction out of you. My son is 2 1/2 and does this once in a while but not to often. I usually dont really react much to it. I just call him silly and put his cloths back on and it has not become an issue. If she is just at home, i dont feel its a big deal. I lot of kids like to be without cloths on. I would tell her she needs to keep her diaper or panties on but other wise ignore it. If she isnt getting a reaction she may stop doing it. Good luck!
some children are highly energy sensitive, as you probably know. i was and i have known lots of kids and adults like this. there are parts of the body that are just so sensitive it is uncomfortable, does not feel good, to have anything bind or sometimes even touch the area. the meridians can flow best if naked. so try a really soft natural fabric, cotton, silk, etc. that has no elastic or binding. also colors really matter to these types of people. blue, happy sky blue is usually the most calming color.
best wishes!
A. m
Well, when you are in your home, perhaps that could be an ok time for her to be naked? There is a range between allergic and sensitive, and I know many many toddlers that just prefer to feel their bodies without the feel of fabric against them. I let my daughter be naked at home as much as she wanted, and even let her paint sometimes in the kitchen, and then gave her a bath to wash the paint off, what a lovely multicolored bathtub it was for a moment, then rinse rinse, good as new. I found that by allowing her her freedom for a while at home i could prevent her from trying to strip down in the grocery...yep that did happen, but only once. I was able to explain that being naked was only for home-time or room time. Perhaps you should look inward and ask why being naked is so very bad. I don't think she is doing it for attention. I think it is for comfort. I think she enjoys the feel of the air against her skin. If it is very bothersome to have a naked baby, try just insisting on panties when she wants to be unclothed. If you can allow her some freedom in this, i think the phase will pass quicker than if you forbid it, making it all the more desirable.
This is totally normal. I have four daughters age 3 to 22. I also work with children. The responses you are mentioning will make her feel she is doing something wrong. It is normal to take off the clothes & to run around the house naked until about age five when the modesty will kick in on its own. Her body is beautiful. The goal is not to create shame, but to help her to feel good about her body & self. R. Faridnia, MSW, LCSW
I don't understand what the harm is in taking her clothes off sometimes. I think you are making it a tabboo thing by punishing her, and this will make her want to do it more. Some kids are less comfortable in clothes than others. Some kids feel more hot than others. They all go through curiosity stages as well. I would dress her lightly so that maybe the hot tight clothes wouldn't bother her. And I would let her pick her own clothes, so that she's invested in what she's wearing. Beyond that, I would let her take them off. I have a rule in our house that you have to be wearing underwear/diaper, but that you can take your clothes off. My 3 1/2 pretends she is Mowgli from the Jungle Book - no clothes. And then if people are over, depending on who they are, she has to keep her clothes on. I think that if you give her some freedom she will run around naked, but after some amount of days/weeks it will go back to normal. It isn't wrong to want to be cooler or more comfortable!
Good luck!
Just about every kid I know has gone through this phase at this age. It can last many months. Kids are busy and exploratory and frankly clothes can be uncomfortable, restrictive, and get in the way. I say as long as she only does it at home (and not in the grocery store) what's the big deal? Make her keep a diaper or panties on just for hygene's sake, but why make a big deal about being naked? Kids are free and innocent at that age, so why start the whole privacy shaming thing? As long as she is not complaining about being cold or running around in front of company, let her be. You can easily make a rule about not being naked in front of others outside the nuclear family. It'll pass.
What toddler doesn't love being naked?! My daughter (2.5 yrs) does this as well, though she's not doing it as much lately. It's a stage. They love to do things for themselves at this age, and she has discovered she can take off her clothes, which is new, interesting and feels independent to her. Don't make a big deal out of it--don't punish or react. The novelty will wear off as long as you don't make a big deal out of it. When my daughter insists she wants to be naked, I tell her she can as long as she has a diaper or pull-up on. She accepts that and I ask her if she's cold once in a while. Eventually she says yes and we put her clothes back on. She doesn't take them all off when she's alone anymore. Good luck!
J.
My mom said that I did this when I was her age and she couldn't figure out if my clothes were uncomfortable or I had some allergy to the material so she bought me all cotton tank undershirts and all cotton undies but I still did it so she just told me that I can do it when no one is home but if we have company I have to put clothes on. She didn't want me to grow up ashamed of my body and she told me by 5 I somewhat outgrew it. I doubt if she is doing it for attention, just comfort.
I'm in agreement with the previous posters. Both my girls did this. They understood the rule that you can't be naked when we have company, or in front of an open door or window. Other than that, enjoy the freedom! I think it's rather cute.
Hi M.,
I really don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know this type of behavior is normal for some kids. I remember my son (who was 2 at time) used to run away from me after his bath and run through the house naked. I didn't punish him. I would laugh, then run after him, telling him you're going to catch a cold running around with no clothes on. He would giggle...
Hopefully this is a faze she will grow out of....
safety pins! (and comfy clothes, maybe light weight ones??)
Honestly, I'd stop punishing it. It's a very normal thing, especially if she's only recently learned how to undress herself, and she's probabyl just amused with her new skill. She may just *like* being naked, kwim? I would try and treat it like any other behavior - explain to her that she needs to have clothes on before she comes out into the main room, talk to her about keeping at least her panties/diaper on, etc. If she wants to be naked, let her have some "ok" naked time, so she doesn't strip down when it's inappropriate. Just don't get angry. It's not likly to change the behavior, and it could possibly create self-image issues in the long run. Good Luck, Mama!! Having kids who are "nakie-holics" is a challenge!!
Don't worry about your kid being naked. It is absolutely normal. Kids like to run around naked. I say let her do it. She'll stop when she gets older and is more aware of what others think about her.
If you're just worried about her removing her diaper, you could try putting it on backwards, so the tabs are in back. Or, I know a mom that used duct tape on her child's diaper. The kid could not take off his diaper with the tape on it.
I think if you just ignore her she will stop. I think at only 2 years old they don't think it is a big deal to be naked. My daughter also likes to be naked. Honestly atleast they are comfortable with their bodies. I could see if she was 5 or 6 and running around with her friends there might be a problem. But she is still to young for her to answer why she is doing something you feel is wrong.
M. there is nothing wrong with her, and you really shouldnt punish her for this. Its normal, as everyone else has said. She has learned a new skill and is practising it as much as she can. You may want to start picking up a few "pretty" clothes at thrift stores and garage sales for her dress up box. Little girls usually love to play dress up and can change thier clothes several times a day and even wear many layers of clothing at a time. Its all about learning new things and seeing how well she can do it. My 2 1/2 year old wants nothing more than to change her own clothes over and over. She refuses help with a vengence and I only step in to help when shes really tangled up in long sleeves or has her head stuck in a pant leg. (a sight to behold) If you make it a game and let her explore her ability you may find she doesnt want to undress as often. I do insist they stay dressed when company is here (rule #1. friends dont take clothes off when playing. good rule for teenagers too) or when we go shopping. Although one time I was picking out carrots in the grocery store and turned to put them in the cart and there sat my girl, no shirt, and 1 leg out of her pants, still buckled in and shoes on. How she did it in such a short few seconds is beyond me, but I couldnt help but laugh, and then try to scold her for taking clothes off in public. I promised her she could take it all off once we got home but not till then. Once I got her home and out of the car, she was naked before she got to the front door..Have fun with her. Soon enough she will be over this stage and youll remember how sweet and innocent it was. It really is normal, and no reason to fret over it.
Punishing a 2 year old for taking their clothes off? Seriously?
Did you ever stop to consider that this is a new skill for her. Maybe instead of punishing her, you can praise what she was able to do and then see if she is able to put them back on. It's not a big deal and I certainly wouldn't punish her for it. It is a phase - most kids go through it so relax.
a
Why are you punishing her? There's nothing wrong with it, as long as she's not going to the bathroom all over the place. My kids never did it, but I have a few friends with kids like your daughter, and my friends would just let them run around naked in the house. Some toddlers just like to be naked. It's quite common. As long as she only does it at home.
She won't be doing it by kindergarten age.
And yes, it's VERY cute when little toddlers run around naked.
