I was wondering if anyone out there experienced this.
My daughter will be turning 3 in August, recently she's become possessive of her dirty diapers while she's wearing them. I'll ask her to lay down for me or mention that she needs a change she'll firmly say "No! My diaper!" then reaches down to "protect" the diaper, and where she protects is a direct indication of what type of dirty diaper she has, I don't even have to check anymore. Once I actually do get her changed she goes on about her way with out a second thought. It's not even like she pitches a real fit, it's sort of a half-hearted protest. So there really isn't a problem, it just seems odd that she does protest in the first place.
Thanks for the responses to my daughter's diaper possessiveness. As for the potty training suggestions, I would love to buckle down and trust me, I know it's time. She only just started showing real interest this past May and I haven't really been pushing her because we will be taking a very long trip here this August. It will be 13 hours in the car and we decided that diaper changes would just be easier on us all.
I've heard that kids can sometimes think of their potty as part of themselves and that is a reason they might not want to be changed. I am unsure if this is true or not but it sounds plausible.
No its not so odd, all 3 of my kids did this too. They do it when they potty train too, where they dont want you to dump their potty. ALL kids do it to some extent.
First start by not making such a big deal out of it. Just go about it matter of fact. Dont tell her you are coming to get her to change her diaper, just take her hand and do it lovingly. Do not throw the diaper away until she has left the room and forgotten about it by going to play.
Just tell her how proud you are that she is such a big girl. ANd that this shows she can start wearing big girl underpants and can start thinking about using the potty because she is so good.
When it happens when she is using the potty, just leave it for a bit, when she goes into the other room to play then dump it. But sometimes they arent into something and they dont forget and are upset when they see it gone. So just wait a bit or get a pail to put them in and tell her it goes in there. They are possesive of it. its a part of them, they know it, I dont know why parents dont get it.
I guess because they are so offended by it as adults.
Every child goes through potty training at a different time. It annoys me to no end when one parent thinks that because something worked for one child it WILL work for yours. That's not the case. Different children, different parents, different routines, etc. I didn't even start pottying training my daughter (now four) till she was almost three (within a month of her third b-day) and I STRONGLY feel that because I waited so long and never pushed her, she potty trained extremely fast. (within a month she had no more accidents at all) It might not be that she's not ready to let go of her diaper... it might just be her way of asserting herself. Some kids say no, my toy... she's saying no, my diaper. After vacation, try some pull-ups and see how it goes but don't feel rushed into something because other mom's say that's how it HAS to be. Good Luck. Just be glad she's not throwing a full out tantrum over her diaper. ;)
J.
D.-
I have a 3 year old daughter too and I am going to tell you this with a mothers tough love;-) It's way past time to potty train! Just explain to her that you have something she can keep all day to herself and put some underwear on her, it'll be a messy few days but she'll learn fast...problem solved;-)
M.
She just doesn't want to change her diaper, probably just doesn't want to take the time. Hopefully you are trying to get her potty trained at this point, so the diaper changing won't be any issue.
It is a developmental phase. Spock may be really old, but he has a section of his book devoted to it. They cannot understand that it is not part of them anymore and are reluctant to let it go. She will get over it, just don't make it a big deal.
M.
Hi D., I got a big smile when I read your email. Dont get me wrong and I do understand your situation. We have a granddaughter same age same problem. One day I missed her and went to find her she was hiding in her closet doing her job. Then one day her sister told her parents to change her pants because she stinks and they said she will get them changed when she wants to. I guess it is just a personal thing with that age. Good luck
