Advice needed please, has anyone managed to stop their lo from smearing?

[mymatemax]

Ds2 smears, I know we are lucky in that so far he's not discovered his nappy, but I just don't know how we can go about changing this behavior.
I think in part its sensory but definately compulsive (OCD) as often its part of a bigger ritual.
Any advice welcomed as I'm fighting a loosing battle trying to keep my windows & walls clean.

[tobysmumkent]

Message withdrawn

[jenk1]

dd has started to do this, the other day she put a load in my hair, its awful isnt it?
we too have been told its sensory and we have been getting her to do lots of things like painting, drawing, playing in the sand etc, she hasnt done it for a couple of days.

[gess]

How does he get hold of it? DS1 used to do it sort of if he stumbled accidentally onto poo. I'd look at trying to limit access (vest tops?- not sure what age your ds2 is??)

[Joggeroo]

DS1 smears and eats. I have learnt to be much more business like in managing it, but it is rather soul destroying and I get fed up with trying to eradicate the smell. His play is very sensory at the moment. It all seems to come in phases and is happening a bit less over the lastcouple of weeks.
so no advice, just hang on in there and wait for it to pass....so to speak.

[mymatemax]

Sorry all, he's not smearing poo, just anything else he can get his hands on. Food, drink & if he hasn't got anything he spits & smears.
Bedtime is the worst he smears his milk from his bottle.
I've tried taking the bottle away but its part of his bedtime routine, which is the most rigid of all his daily routines.
In fact if I can cure the smearing first I think it will be easier to get rid of the bottle iykwim.
He loves spitting too & will go into the garden & hide so he can spit in private without getting told off, he sneaks off into the front room with a mouth full of drink to smear either on the window, window sill or has recently discovered the back of the sofa is smooth
Also I cant get him out of the front door without him stopping to smear on the hall floor, its a ritual before we leave the house.

[tibni]

I have leather sofas and the "real life" scrubable paint! I also have rubber flooring in the bathrooms. My windows are a disgrace - I only tend to wipe over my front ones with a "miracle cloth" im sure the window cleaner wonders why he bothers LOL.

On the plus side last week DS was smearing his butter hands on my french doors and DD told him "no" and he went and fetched a towel and started to "clean it up" (read make it worse) but hey he tried and understood that it wasn't wanted so I have some hope!

[mymatemax]

Its good to hear i'm not alone, he knows its not allowed it is just such a strong irrisistable compulsion.
He actually gets upset if he's tried to secretly smear & we catch him in the act.
I just don't have a clue how to go about trying to change this behavior.
We have leather sofa's & wooden floors so it is all cleanable just never ending.

[Joggeroo]

I was on a Pecs workshop today and there was a discussion about smearing spit. It was reported that the person who smeared usually on windows did so because of the way the light sparkled through it, had found that a small tube of glittery coloured stuff that you could shake and watch-sort of thing you might see on a key ring, was a more socially acceptable way of getting the same stimulation. Reminded me of this thread.

[mymatemax]

Thanks Joggeroo I'll try the glitter thing.
Actually that makes a lot of sense, when he's in the car he smears on the window & if its sunny he squints as he's looking through the glass, with a big smile, like its absolute bliss & he is in a trance.
Maybe if I give him something as you describe while we are in the car i can judge if he is getting the same enjoyment. thanks again.