I need a little creativity here!

[JSerene]

Hi all. Please help me out. My 4 yr old dd thinks it's funny to urinate in the front yard and in the bathtub. I've been giving her reminders and explaining/reasoning with her, but to no avail. I ask her why she does it and she says, "because I like to." Using the toilet has never been an issue for her and I have a strong feeling she has some underlying anxiety right now (clue: we are weaning this week). My brain can't come up with anything playful and I would appreciate some creative ideas. It is becoming a problem because there are neighbors out all the time, and yesterday she did it when a neighbor had stopped in the yard to talk to us.

[mom2grrls]

Did she just start doing it on her own or did she see someone else do it?

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Well, I don't see the issue with peeing in the bathtub

is she standing? does she like to try to pee standing up? I totally get that, maybe figure out a way that she can pee standing up, on a stool at the toliet, or in the backyard if you are worried about people seeing?

Around here lots of kids pee on the trees at the park when they have to go, and I know for a fact some of them hold it so they get to pee on the "pee tree" at the park because its fun to pee outside.

[Ruthla]

I wouldn't worry about the bathtub peeing. Urine is sterile and it's diluted enough in the bathwater. If she's been bathing with a sibling, and the other child is bothered by it (or it bothers you), then I'd start bathing her alone.

But peeing outside, with neighbors watching, is something alltogether different. It's rude and makes the other people uncomfortable. Maybe she'd leave the front yard alone if she's allowed to pee in the backyard?

[JSerene]

She's allowed to pee in the backyard, and has always done so till now. Peeing outside, standing up, is a lot of fun and I have no problem with that. However, I do think she's too old to stand in the front yard showing off her bits and urinating. She seems to be doing this to get a reaction.

The trouble with the bathtub is that she goes in it to pee at random - not when she's taking a bath. The urine just sits there, because I don't know about it till later when I notice, plus her feet get yucky.

This morning I taped two black and white drawings to the toilet: one of a generic person sitting on a toilet and the other a simple smiling face. She saw it and announced she wasn't going to pee in the front yard or bathtub any more. That seems waaaay to easy, so we'll see if it worked .

[Surfacing]

Gads, I hope for your sake it works!

[mom2grrls]

She's allowed to pee in the backyard, and has always done so till now. Peeing outside, standing up, is a lot of fun and I have no problem with that.>>>>>>

Well I think it's a bit confusing to say she can pee in the back but not the front. Most kids at that age don't really care about being naked in front of others so I doubt she really cares about that Hopefully the sign worked.