{"id":53234,"date":"2018-11-28T09:30:21","date_gmt":"2018-11-28T09:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/why-your-toddler-insists-on-watching-you-poop\/"},"modified":"2018-11-28T09:30:21","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T09:30:21","slug":"why-your-toddler-insists-on-watching-you-poop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/de\/why-your-toddler-insists-on-watching-you-poop\/","title":{"rendered":"Why your toddler insists on watching you poop"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Photo: istock <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

To our toddlers, we\u2019re like rock stars. They follow us, they watch us, they mimic us and they want to be just like us. It\u2019s pretty flattering when you think about it. Still, there\u2019s one place we really don\u2019t need or want a rapt audience: the bathroom.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to have our children in there. Pretty much all moms do it because we don\u2019t want to hear them screaming when they\u2019re separated from us, and we don\u2019t want them to scale a bookcase<\/strong> (or destroy the house) in the three minutes we\u2019re gone. But it\u2019s another thing altogether when you have a toddler who stares at you as you do your business\u2014like, literally watches you poop and insists on doing so.<\/p>

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It\u2019s jarring, it\u2019s uncomfortable and it\u2019s just weird. Believe it or not, it\u2019s also weirdly normal for a lot of kids.<\/p>\n

One reason for this invasion of privacy is plain and simple curiosity. Toddlers want to know more about the world around them, and that includes the human body. It\u2019s strange, new and fascinating to them, and when you\u2019re on the toilet, they have a front-row seat to a serious mystery. Furthermore, they start to understand that their body also does what your body is doing<\/strong>, and well, WHOA.<\/p>\n

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\nDon’t worry, your toddler is not a jerk<\/span>Another explanation is that this is a way for your toddler to connect with you<\/strong>, says B.C.-based psychologist Vanessa Lapointe<\/strong>, author of Discipline Without Damage: How to Get Your Kids to Behave Without Messing Them Up<\/em>. \u201cAround age two, the primary way in which kids connect is through \u2018samesies,\u2019 or being the same as their most special big people, their parents,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe child\u2019s sense of this relationship is, in fact, essential to their survival and healthy development, so watching you, trying to figure it out and maybe even practising it are all part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The weirdness we feel comes from our own sense of embarrassment. And it\u2019s OK to feel that way\u2014as long as we don\u2019t impose that embarrassment<\/strong> on our toddlers. \u201cAnything that has to do with shame and blame is going to be a problem,\u201d explains Lapointe. \u201cThe key here is to not make your child [feel] wrong for being exactly what they are supposed to be: a child full of curiosity and always in pursuit of connection with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which is sweet\u2026and would be even sweeter if you weren\u2019t pooping. So what should you do? Here are a few options:<\/p>\n

Roll with it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As with most kiddie stages, they\u2019re over before you know it\u2014even if they feel endless when you\u2019re smack in the middle of them.<\/p>\n

Distract your toddler from the main event<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can talk and sing to them, or you can bring toys or books into the bathroom<\/strong> so they\u2019re otherwise occupied. You\u2019re interesting, but you may not be able to hold a candle to Elmo or the PAW Patrol<\/em> gang.<\/p>\n

Explain what\u2019s happening<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you take the mystery out of something, it\u2019s suddenly not all that interesting anymore. Once your child\u2019s curiosity is sated, they\u2019ll likely move on to the next thing.<\/p>\n

Use your child\u2019s interest to your advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Shift the focus to the idea of potty-training<\/strong>. It\u2019s never too early to start the discussion and possibly pique their interest. You can even get a mini potty for your child to use right next to you when you\u2019re in the bathroom.<\/p>\n

Set some boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s up to you to decide what\u2019s normal and acceptable in your home. In a neutral and non-judgmental way, discuss concepts like privacy and private parts, and what they mean in terms of bathroom use\u2014at home and in other places.<\/p>\n

Eventually, of course, everyone sets boundaries. The question is when to do it, if not now. \u201cTake your cues from your child,\u201d says Lapointe. \u201cWhen your child starts to feel sensitive to your nakedness and observation of your private routines, and\/or sensitive to your observation of his nakedness and private routines, that is when the boundaries come into place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever you decide, remember that this is just a phase and that your toddler won\u2019t be this fascinated by your poop forever. We promise.<\/p>\n

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Read more:
Why your toddler is obsessed with being naked
23 best toys for babies and toddlers<\/strong><\/p>\n

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