They DOO make Play-Doh in brown!
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"NEVER. ENOUGH. BACON!"--GoBoy

Just sell him to the zoo.
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Sir SamDamnit!
The Emir of Crapistan
Join The Poop Reporter's Lounge

I have heard of young children who do this.

I am assuming that this child is at least being taught to use the potty.

If this type of behavior continues, you might want to see a Pediatrican Kelly.

Good luck.
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"If December be changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child."

This behavior cannot be allowed to continue. Certainly a pediatrician should be consulted as soon as possible. There has to be some modification, or the child will have major problems regarding his bodily functions and socialization once he starts to school.
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Pulling My Pants Down For Peace, Plop and Posterity!

I think there's got to be a psychological reason for this behavior. Is he being potty trained? If the answer is yes, then he's doing it deliberately, which is incredibly disturbing. Maybe he needs to see a child psychologist or something.
He's not eating it, is he? (please tell me he isn't!)

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An apple a day keeps the ExLax away!

My suggestion is to try to get on Dr. Phil and traumatize the kid for life by airing out his dirty laundry so to speak at a very early age.

No doubt, Dr. Phil will offer "free counseling", follow up sessions, and loads of pychotrophic Meds which will help him stop playing with his own turd.

I highly suggest bringing along one of the following on the show:
A. fat, ugly, and shrill intrusive mother in law
B.Unemployed Husband with the same problem as the kid
C. Gloria Allred representing the ACLU

and then try to shake down the show for additional housing, emergency funds, etc.

Then use the whole thing as a springboard to making a naked appearance on Maury Povich.

Maury will probably demand a paternity test, but once again, you can parlay that into spendable funds.
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Your Baby Ate My Dingo

This is an amazingly common practice. Most normally-developing kids, if they engage in this kind of behavior, outgrow it quickly.

However, for children with developmental disabilities, this may take longer and may require specific therapies, possibly medical, dietary and/or behavioral modification. This is especially true for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), mental retardation and/or sensory integration issues.

If the child presents other issues, like communication delays, poor social and play skills, obsessive or self-stimulatory behaviors, lack of imagination.

If the child displays such behaviors prior to 30 months (age), most counties will provide a FREE evaluation and reduced cost services through the county health department, usually called Early Intervention Services. After 30 months, generally such services are provided through the county school system as part of the requirement to provide a FREE and APPROPRIATE education to all children.

The earlier such issues (especially ASD) are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome will be.

Merc, that was just plain funny stuff. I'm with you.

Seriously, I just don't think the child has been beaten enough. I have five little kids (oldest is nine) and by age three, they can all understand English and reason, and none of them are geniuses. One should be able to tell a three-year-old not to handle his shit and explain why; then let him know there will be consequences for doing so.

Right now, DungCub is three, and he is fully potty-trained. He is a meticulous ass-wiper. DungBaby is 20 months old and he might grab some poop once a week during a diaper change - if that.

Kelley, your great nephew (or his mother) may be a retard.

Thanks Dung Daddy. That's high praise coming from you. To tell you the truth, my last comment recieved a "Minus One" point and I decided to redeem myself.

Your remarks about your kids -"none of them is a genius" was hysterical. I swear, usually you get the Soccer Mom's and Dad's swearing up and down how "gifted" the kid is and they're trying to sign him up for Mensa before his fourth birthday.

I don't have any kids, but i have the feeling that we're on the same page on child rearing- its not brain surgery and hysterical parents only make every situation worse.
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Your Baby Ate My Dingo

Playing with poop huh? Yes I think brown play dough is in order here. You are correct dung daddy I think a three year old is definitely capable of being told NOT to handle his doody and there being dire consequences for doing so.

The only way to solve this is with an alternative like Playdoh. Hitting and insults won't help; to the contrary, they will make the situation at all. Also, don't rule out the possibility that the kid may have "special needs". That's not meant to offend anyone, it's just what sometimes happens.

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

Oops- that's supposed to say "Hitting and insults won't help at all; to the contrary, they will make the situation much worse".
Gosh, where is my mind today??

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

What a sad situation! This sounds as if there isn't much discipline happening at home with little PoopSmear. It's always been my observation that kids that are allowed to get away with anything will do the most outlandish things, just to gain attention.

So I agree with DD, either he knows better or has some serious issues that need to be looked in to.

I'm going to share my opinion and advice, even though the only qualification I have is being the mother of two young children.

Most healthy three-year-olds (without mental handicaps) have a fair understanding of cause and effect. If I throw this ball, it will bounce. If I drop spaghetti, it will make the floor messy. If I poke the butter with my little fingers and pour the salt all over the butter, counter and kitchen floor, Mommy will be mad (don't ask).

They can also understand what "bad" means, though they might not recognize something as being bad unless someone teaches them so. Discipline is very important. Teach this child that playing with poop is bad and that it will make him and his family sick. Teach him that poop belongs only in the potty. When he plays with his poo, punish him. When he takes a nap or bath without playing with his poo, reward him with compliments and hugs.

Try some distracting activities that are similar to what he does with the poo. Get him a smock, an easel, some paper and paints. Get him play-doh or clay. Let him 'help' cook, and set appart a little food so he can play with it in a bowl (kids like to stick their hands in wet noodles, pudding, creamed corn, custard, etc.).

If these things don't work then talk to the child's pediatrician about getting a referral to a good child psychologist. It is not unheard of for some children to be so curious about poop, that they play with it once or twice. When they play with it as much as your great-nephew, and the above suggestions don't help curtail the behavior, then you need to seriously consider the possibility that the child is suffering from some kind of stress and/or abuse.

If the kid is 3 years old, he should be potty trained.

But to me it sounds like the parents aren't exactly too bright enough to dicipline him. Just think how funny it will be on the first day of school when they get the call that their little boy threw his turd at the teacher!

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Some are born crappy, some achieve crappiness, and some have crapiness thrusted upon them. (Do NOT be the last one)

I rescind my comment about beating the little retard. Fart Poopie is right on the money with that advice.

Thanks for the change of heart, DungDaddy. Hitting kids is always wrong, even when they do crap like this.
I'd suggest getting the kid some entertaining books on the subject of poop. (The Grossology books are great for this.) This way, he can read about it without having to experience it hands-on. Who knows, this could even lead to him having a career as one of those dudes who does colonoscopies or something like that...

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

3 years old is not too old to still be in diapers: in fact, it's average. Boys on average take a few months longer than girls to graduate into underwear. While most children may start peeing every once in a while in the potty at age two, particularly only when Mommy or Daddy put them on it, it typically takes a year or more to consistently go on their own with occasional accidents. (My dad's a pediatrician at a medical college and his research for the last ten years has been an extensive study on potty-training, not to sound like a douche or anything.)

So lay off this little guy for still being in diapers. If you still had a choice, what would you do? Get up off your ass and leave your toys to do the work of peeing, or have someone else fix the mess later in your pants? It's the convenient solution for many little boys and girls who don't want to abandon the construction of Duplo houses and cars.

Thanks, Dungdaddy. :-)
I don't think there's anything wrong with spanking a child when discipline is required. There is a huge difference between spankings and beatings, though.

It is considered acceptable to hit any child named "grayson", "zooey", or "chandler".

It is also acceptable to horse whip any parent who named the child such.

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Your Baby Ate My Dingo

I agree with Turdle Dove that being in diapers at three is not unusual for a boy. The problem here is that the child is playing with and smearing poop everywhere.

In this case, I think Corporate punnishment would do more harm than good.

Turdle Dove, how rare is it for a boy to be fully potty trained at two years and three months?
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"If December be changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child."

Okaaay, let's try that again.

In this case, I think Corporal punishment will do more harm than good.

Sorry, it's been a long morning.
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"If December be changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child."

I don't know, healthy_1, with Wal-mart's harsh florescent lighting, cranky and depressed employees, and soul-killing Muzak, I think its corporate punishment might just shock the little kid into leaving his crap alone.

A kid being fully potty-trained by that age, especially a boy, is an over-achiever. It happens, but most kids wait a little longer to leave diapers behind forever. At least until they're 85.

Geez, smack that kid! Merc is right about the name thing. This is a great reason NOT to have the little poopers in the first place. It's called "pull out"!

What's so funny 'bout poop, love, and understanding?

And of course the group Devo gave us the anthem of corporal punishment: Whip It!

Merc (14) -- 12.16.2006

It is considered acceptable to hit any child named "grayson", "zooey", or "chandler".

I happen to know someone named Chandler, thank you very much, and I don't think he would appreciate that at all, should he ever come to this site.

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

I bought my nephew some Play-Doh for his birthday a couple of months ago, and he told me he didn't like it. Without thinking, I told him he should be grateful to have it because when we were growing up we were so poor his mother had to play with her own poop. Naturally that endeared me to my sister...

And what's up with stupid kid names? It reminds me of a big I heard a comedian do on a morning talk show. Some woman introduced him to her homely, jug-eared little boy and said his name was Dakota. "Dakota??", the comic replied, "No ma'am, what you got there is a Ralph."

An acquaintance of mine just named her son "Cash". I have some nicknames lined up:

Cashew. Cashable. Cash cow. Cash in. Cash flow. Cash machine. Hard Cash. Petty Cash. Cash-n-carry. Cash payment. Cold Cash. Cash crop. Cash in your chips. Cash in hand. Cash, check or charge? Cash prize! Pocket Cash. Cash drawer. Cash register. Cash a check.

More, anyone?

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"NEVER. ENOUGH.BACON!"--GoBoy

She named her son "Cash"? Is she a celebrity or something? I've heard of that as a surname, but never as a first name. Gosh.

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

Nitpick--the name is usually spelled "Zoe", not "Zooey." :D

That being said, I'm not surprised that the parents haven't stepped in considering that parenting "experts" have frightened the modern parent into thinking if they express any displeasure over something their kid does that the kid's precious "self-esteem" will be destroyed and he/she will grow up to be an axe murderer. In a case like this, though, I wonder if bribery wouldn't work. Tell the kid that if he doesn't poop in the tub, he'll get something. Kids are avaricious by nature, might as well take advantage of it.

Let the kid play in shit. He'll grow up to be a corporate lawyer or politician....on second thought cuff him and tell him to knock it off.

Werewolf: No, she's no more a celebrity than I. Just weird. I think my default moniker for him is going to be "Cashew Butter."
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At Christmas remember:Gift cards aren't real gifts.

Don't let his mom hear that.
"Oh, she calls my precious boy horrible names!" everyone will hear from her.
And people tell me I'm crazy.

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

I hope no one's abusing the kid. Poop smearing can be a symptom.
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.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com

Thank god I am not the only person this is happening to. My son is 2 years and 4 months old, I am trying my hardest to potty train him and he is still doing these sorts of things, this morning I woke up when I heard him playing,went into his room and there it was all over his toys, the walls, the floor and the door. 99% of his toys that had some on went in the bin and I spent ages with the detol cleaning and disinfecting it all, I do not know what to do with him, I cant get him potty trained despite how hard I try and I cannot get him to associate poop with it being dirty as he knows that dirty is not to be touched but that doesn't always stop him anyway! I have tried everything, the naughty step, ignoring it, shouting and smacking him, everything and nothing seems to work. I don't think it helps that he is a slow talker and once he can talk I think I can resolve the poop smearing and the potty training easier. But until then I just don't know how to keep my sanity. I think that he has ADD or ADHD but everyone keeps telling me that he is just a normal two year old with his behavior, not the poop business but his general day to day behavior. HELP!! I AM GOING TO CRACK UP SOON!!!!

This has nothing to do with ADD, this is freudian in nature. They consider this unresolved anger at having their pooping controlled, so they do this in anger. I mean, if you gave them cereal, they may throw it, but not "decorate" the place with it, like they did the poop. I believe the child enjoys watching you clean it up, even at 2 years old, and you need to take him to a therapist now. They'll explain to you the power struggle that's going on, and how to deal with it properly by explaining how not to react. I'm not saying anyone has to go there weekly, but child psychologists are brilliant with "fixing" this type of behavior.

This a great video on Poop in the Tub for parents. From DadLabs.com.
PoopInTheTub
Enjoy!!

Maybe he just likes the feel of it or the smell?

If that's the case, I'd consider buying him some fake poop (like you may find at a joke shop) to play with instead.

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...and they all lived crappily ever after!

alot of your comments are absolutely abhorrent and totally disrespectful to the original poster and i was going to post a question regarding my own son but given your responses i will spare myself the bother. do you all hate children or something? not as if the lot of you are perfect parents either. most of your replies are quite scary actually. if anyone knows of an intelligent website on this subject that wont treat this like a joke, do pass it on to me. cheers

Anonymous coward, I don't think my comment was abhorrent and disrespectful, nor did I treat this problem like a joke. If your child is having this problem, consider taking the steps posted above. :-)

Not to be rude, but you should also realize that this is a Poop HUMOR website. Most people are going to laugh at and joke about what gets posted here.

you guys are cruel peopel to say that other people are retarded and you should beat children. yes children need help learning but i hope your child gets curous and people tell you that you're a bad mother or father or you or your child is retarded

Anonymous coward did you end up finding anything of more helpful than most of these rood coments found here? I'm also in a similer boat with my potty training almost 3 year old.

some comments:
1) my mother...i have this on good authority, viz., her sister...once did an entire mural, fingerpainted above her crib with the only medium she had at hand.
she is one of the most grounded people i know.

2) "dr. phil"...talk about stinkin' thinkin'...lol

3) as far as nicknames for cash...'cashew...gesundheit!'
oh...i crack me up...

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purveyor of the brown note...

I have a grandson who dose this and I'm very concerned about him. I belive that he has a problem and needs to see a doctor. Now if only is dumb ass parents would do the right thing for him. He has other problems that tie into this.

Most of the comments here are unrealistic. If any of you child smackers had done any research on the matter of a small child still pooing in his nappy or for that matter painting the walls with it, you would have found out that it is not abnormal or deliberate bad behaviour. There are generally reasons why a child does this. Instead of punishing your child, find out whay he is doing this then resolve it in a caring and kindly manner so your child will grow and develop into a normal better behaved and much loved person. Yes, it is digusting and could be a health risk, but you chose to be a parent and that comes with good and bad times. If your child does good and smart things I'll bet you tell everyone what a great child you have, never any trouble, but when they do something that disgusts you, you turn on them like they are the worst kid in the world and why was I straddled with such a horrible child. If you think by punishing a child for poo painting is acceptable then you need to go and learn some parenting skills. Maybe the reason children do this (poo painting) is because of bad parenting skills. Maybe it's you who needs the help, not your child. However, if all else has failed get some medical help...how simple is the solution???

my son has ADHD AMONGST SOME OTHER PROBLEMS AND HE IS 4 GOING ON 5 HE IS POTTY TRAINED AND STILL HE REACHES IN THE POTTY GRABS THAT POOP AND WIPES IT ALL OVER THE WALLS HIMSELF HIS SISTER EVERYWHERE !!!! SO DONT LET PEOPLE SAY THAT YOUR A BAD MOM OR YOUR NOT DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB POTTY TRAINING BECOUSE WHAT THE HELL DO THEY KNOW ..... YOU KNOW YOUR OWN CHILD ..... I WOULD TALK TO YOUR CHILDS DOCTOR AND TELL HIM EVERYTHING THATS GOING ON!!!!!!!!! gOOD LUCK

In your case, "I unederstand", your son's problems probably stem from your inability to use a shift key properly...we see alot of that here, and the results are always the same, parent can't operate keyboard=fucked up kids.

My niece is doing the same thing. She's not potty trained and she'll be three in June. My sister has contacted several pediatricians (as she's been totally freaked/grossed out), and they are all telling her that this is basically normal behavior. My sister is at her wits end. She has to shampoo the carpets, throw away toys, disinfect walls, etc. She's tried spanking the child, but that doesn't work. For all of those with the bright idea of beating the child, what do you do when that doesn't work? She's a sweet BABY. She's not stupid.

I am having the same problem with my 2 yr old son. I have recently made him help me clean it up. After 2 times he has not done it again (so far). I also set him on the potty after cleaning him up and let him know this is where the poop goes. This is not for the weak. It is eaiser to clean it up yourself but he does not learn that way. He learns the hard way. More adult supevision needed also. He does this only when left alone too long. Keep at it. You will get through this and have other poopy isues to deal with.

My daughter is 18 months old, and started playing with her feces about 4 months ago...

My husband and I were very disturbed about this and non-the-less downright disgusted. Waking up in the morning to a wall, child, crib and everything else smoothered in poop is not fun!

I had my fair share of breakdowns. Finally I grew the nerve to talk to her pediatrician about this. She said that it is totally normal.

She told me to try a cold shower instead of a warm bubbly bath...
(Remember not to cold, just dont make it to comfortable)

Needless to say... my house doesnt smell anymore and now we are potty-training!!

ok. so my 12 year old cousin plays in his own freaking poop. i dont see him often, but i hear LOADS of stories. He wipes his ass on TOWELS instead of toilet paper. He also smears crap on the wall. i personally think something is wrong with the kid. i just cant figure it out, though.