Playing with #2 and Child-Safe Cleaning Products

Season 3, Episode 33

We’re so excited to share with you the latest episode of our Moms on Call parenting podcast, all about babies and toddlers! Today we are talking about playing with #2 and child-safe cleaning products!

The joys of parenting are not always… well… joyful. In fact, sometimes, it can be downright gross! Today on the podcast, we have a parent in North Carolina who is dealing with something many parents do but don’t want to talk about. Her little guy is playing with his poop! How do you stop that behavior? We’ve got the tips every parent needs to hear. Plus, you can find child-safe cleaning products for parents lucky enough to have a child that wants to help them clean.

Laura & Jen: Being a parent, you experience all kinds of things you never thought you would. And not all of those things are pleasant. In fact, some are downright gross. Your kid is going to want to play with everything, and we do mean everything. And today, we’re going to talk about playing with poop. But don’t worry, we have all been there, and we have tips on how you can get your little one to get their hands out of that diaper. And on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have a mom in South Carolina who has a daughter that wants to help her clean the whole house. Hey, let’s be real. That is not a problem. But she is worried about the chemicals and household cleaning products. Today, we’ll give you some safe natural alternatives for your kid to use if you are also blessed with this problem. Welcome to the Moms on Call podcast. We’re so glad you’re here.

Playing with #2

Question #1: Hey, moms, I’m Sophie from North Carolina, and I want to apologize in advance for my kind of gross question, but I truly didn’t know where else to turn. My little man just turned two, and he started doing this thing. When he goes number two, he is fascinated with it and doesn’t want to keep it in his diaper, if you know what I mean. He first started doing it in the mornings before we could get him up. After he woke up, he was so fast. We’d go in there, and it was all over everything gross. And now he does it. If we’re in our living room right in front of us, everything’s going fine. And then bam, hands are down the pants, and it’s all over his toys. It’s so nasty. So, needless to say, we’re going through a lot of disinfectants right now, and any ideas on what we should do to stop it? We didn’t think he was quite ready for potty training cause he is really showing no other signs. But I don’t know, could he be any help? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Laura & Jen: Well, Sophie, we have all been in that situation, and nobody really wants to talk about it. Yes, it’s gross. If you have a bad gag reflex, it could come out during this time. And I had twins, and there was a period of time when they would draw the most beautiful artwork on the walls in 2.2 seconds. And with poop.

What to do when your little one is playing with #2

Jen: All right, first of all, you really have done something very important. Social Touch kids (according to the SMART paradigm) are going to be the hardest ones to keep their hands out of their poop. They just are. It’s just they’re so naturally curious. And if you had a reaction to it, a normal person would, and you were like, what are you doing? This is so gross. They are so fascinated by your reaction. And then it’s just exploration, and it’s sticky, and it smells weird, and oh my goodness, they’re getting all the positive feedback you can imagine. So we just wanted to switch it so that the feedback is just like Laura said, we’re going to ignore it. The hardest thing to do ever! You’re going to have to win an Oscar. It’s just like, yes. And the Oscar for staying calm when poop is all over goes to you!

Playing with #2 Continued

Jen: You’re going to do it. So yeah, it’s going to be more of a shoulder shrug. The toddler online course goes over all the ways that we can non-verbally communicate that we’re not worried about what’s happening. And it just settles it down because now they don’t have the added positive reinforcement of your reaction. Even if it’s a negative reaction, they’re so fascinated by it, especially at that age. So if we remove that, that’s helpful. It’s not forever. And I think that’s probably the best advice we can give. So is that this is, it’s going to be over and done with. We’re going to move on to something else. And he’ll also be that kid that climbs up in your lap, snuggles, and gives you that sweet moment. So it’s not forever. So do your best to shrug that shoulder, practice in the mirror, clean that stuff up, and then have a few statements in your back pocket like, oh, you don’t have to play in your poop. You’re going to be great at keeping that poop in your diaper.

Could playing with #2 be a sign that my toddler is ready to start potty training?

Laura & Jen: So one of the questions that you asked was, could this be a sign of him being ready to start potty training?

Laura & Jen: Well, that is a whole nother topic within that topic. So we’ve already established that there is a high likelihood that your child is social and touch-oriented and that those are their motivators. We have two different ways of potty training, but we do it by design. And so that’s going to be really helpful for you. And the other thing is, when we are ready to potty train, we don’t want it to be in a big power struggle. So he is beginning to show signs of being ready because he recognizes when it happens; after it happens, when they’re ready, we see the signs before it happens. So yeah, we’re kind of on our way there, but we’re not quite there yet. And my recommendation would be to get totally prepared.

Potty by Design

Laura & Jen: Moms on Call Potty by Design will be exactly what you need to potty train your toddler! And you’ll get a laugh out of it. You’ll feel prepared and just know that we are moving forward in a way that serves and teaches him how to interact with the world around him and his curiosities. These things are teachable moments. So just keep that in mind, and we’ll succeed with all of the challenges we face, no matter how stinky they are.

Child-Safe Cleaning Products

Question #2: This is Ashton from Spartanburg, South Carolina. I’m a first-time mom, and I’m noticing that my 18-month-old wants to help when I’m cleaning the house. She wants to help clean the bathroom, and the windows, dusting all of it. She’s into it, which I think is great, but I’m kind of worried about all the chemicals in the cleaning products, and I don’t necessarily want her using the disinfecting wipes or the window cleaners and kind of risking anything, making her sick. Can you recommend some baby-safe cleaning products or any suggestions on how I can let her be involved more safely?

Can you recommend a few child-safe cleaning products?

Laura & Jen: Right now, we have great news. Yes. They make something called water wipes. Yes. And it’s just water, and it’ll be so safe for your little one. That’s such a great question to ask. Get her some water wipes, take a little bucket, and put just some water. You can also add a little bit of vinegar for antiseptic properties. It’s perfectly safe, and it’s natural. She doesn’t care what’s in there, right? Get her a little thing of your paper towels or a washcloth and give her a job. And I’m telling you right now, some of my kids’ favorite things in the whole wide world were the little kid-size mops and the kid-size brooms! And I mean, it is just the best. So involve her in those things. Let her come alongside you as you do that! And that is going to come in handy as she grows and watches her mom or her dad cleaning and taking care of the things that need to be taken care of within a family. And I love that you’re allowing her to come alongside you and do those things.

We’ve heard it too many times: “Babies don’t come with an instruction manual.” So instead of taking the old cliché at its word, we asked, “Why not?”. Visit our website for all that Moms on Call has to offer.

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