7 y/o sister deliberately peeing in places other than toilet, and hiding it?

[thomler]

Hi! My sister is 7 y/o. I would describe her as really headstrong, spunky, and creative.

For the past month or so, she has been peeing in odd places (her closet, in buckets in our garage, and in ziploc bags that she keeps hidden). We discovered these instances Bc of the smell, and when we asked her why she does it, she just shrugs. She doesn’t give a real answer.

Do you all think this is some sort of regression? Or a way of gaining attention? A way of dealing with stress from COVID craziness?

I personally wonder if it’s medical related; but I hope it is not diabetes or something like that.

let me know your thoughts. Thanks so much!

Also, recommendations for actions to take are also appreciated. Our parents are 53 and 54 and sometimes struggle with what to do about these issues with such a young child!

 

[ezekielswheels]

@thomler This would warrant a call to the pediatrician.

 

[harko]

@ezekielswheels As a mother, I second this!!

 

[zpupster]

@thomler Instead of asking her why she is doing what she is doing try asking her why she doesn't want to use the bathroom any more. It could be something as simple as being afraid of something in that particular room. Also, you want to try to avoid embarassing her if at all possible. If it keeps up & she won't talk, you'll need to get her in to see her pediatrician.

 

[harko]

@zpupster Agree

 

[harko]

@thomler So I have to add that I discovered that my 9 yr old pissed a few time in his room on the floor (under his bed. I wanted to kill him). Come to find out, he was too LAZY to press PAUSE on his YouTube or didn’t want to pause his game to use the bathroom. Literally. It could be something weird like this... and the fact that she did it in a zip lock or bucket could mean she was trying not to make a mess. Kids are weird. Now, if she was hoarding the containers of piss that’s a whole other thing together (like go to a pediatrician). It’s easiest to ask kids stuff when there is no emotion. If they think you’re mad they will lie or hide stuff. (Hard to do when you discover piss where it’s not supposed to be, let me tell you.) You could start a conversation about her day and chat for a few minutes then say, “Hey, I’m totally curious about something and thought maybe you could tell me what you were thinking bc I’m totally stumped!” Or maybe you could say “So I heard some kids sometimes pee in funny places other than the bathroom. Do you know why a kid would do that because I can’t figure it out!”