my best friend called me tonight w/the weirdest thing her son has been doing. we're not exactly sure how to handle it. he's been taking his underwear, putting them in a pile and urinating on them. he's also been doing this with the bathroom rug. i don't know what to tell her. he seems like a normal, typical 5 year old. when she asked him "why" he said he didn't know. if anyone could suggest anything, that would be greatly appreciated.

By Mrse on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 06:24 am:

Only he knows why, and he does, could be a calling for attention. I would certainly not let him keep on doing it, ( not that she did before) I would tell him if he does it again he is washing his clothes by hand, he may think twice before doing it again. I would not try to look too deep into this, kids can do some strange things, but I would call as little attention to it as possible, and just have the wash basin ready.

By Lauram on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 05:11 pm:

I would ask her how she reacts when he does this. I agree it could be attention-seeking behavior. If he does it, I would tell her not to react (AT ALL) at first. Let him figure out how to handle it. If he comes to her, have her tell him to solve the problem. If it continues for awhile and it seems like it's not attention-seeking (after she's ruled that out) she may want ot consult with a dr.

By Payday614 on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 07:17 pm:

she hasn't mentioned that he's done it again, but i'll pass on the advice. i'm hoping it's just some kind of phase and not something deeper.