Touching issues

MrsStanger

So ive read previous boards about children touching themselves. Of course it is innocent and she is just curious. DD (16mo) recently had an extremely bad diaper rash. Upon it getting better though at EVERY SINGLE DIAPER CHANGE whether she is clean or dirty i cant keep her hands above her waist! She is naturally inquisitive, but for the life of me i can not find the wording to tell her no. It would be one thing if she was in bath and clean, but after a messy diaper it sets off my anxiety and i just dont know how to contain the mess! Are there wording suggestions on how i explain this to her? I hate to keep saying NO without giving her some sort of understanding. Help!!

MrsStanger

last time we tried diaper free time it felt like we had a puppy! She literally peed on the floor 3 times. i went to clean a spot up and turned around and there she is doing it again! We give her books to look through or a toy that is close to us at the time while we change her. A lot of the time this just results in her putting the book/toy/animal between her legs until i have to take it away. I have not yet expressed mess to her so thats for sure worth a try!

mb314

DS knows the term "Yucky" so when he reaches down to a poopy diaper I keep telling him yucky and that seems to work well.  I also make sure DS has a toy/book or something to keep him occupied, particularly for messy poopy diapers that take a while to clean.

 

 

=Lee=B

I just say "hand's up" and move her hands up.  She knows what hands up means now and it is usually enough for her to pause and think by the time she decides to reach down again it's cleaned up enough.

I also hold both ankles in my hands and bend knees into the belly and then her legs are largely blocking access down there...which slows her down and gives me time.

 

=Lee=B

oh and I try to avoid using yucky, dirty, ew and all that with diapers as some kids will interpret that as pooping being bad and can later have issues with toilet training and self esteem etc.

I think saying poopy is fine they would understand that enough...as well messy might be ok unless you use messy enough that it has a bad connotation!

cedenton

I'm afraid to say "ew" in that situation because I don't want him to think his private area is "ew." We already encountered where I would say "ew" regarding the toilet because I don't want him putting his hands on it, but then I think he didn't want to sit on it because it was "ew."

At DC I got a good idea where they ask them to identify body parts above the waste to keep their hands up there: eyes, nose, hair, mouth, teeth, head, shoulders, elbows, etc. Hope that helps.

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fusionbride

had this same problem and have taught LO "hands on your head" which she thinks is hilarious-- so when it is a dirty diaper, I say "hands on your head", which she does immediately, then I open the diaper and change her.  If she starts to take her hands off, I say it again, and she now think that its a game-- trying to trick me by taking her hands off.  She loves it, and it fully holds her attention so hands stay clean.  I only do it for dirty diapers, so its been staying novel and has been working well for over a month!