Five Great Tips for Parents when Changing a Diaper

I know for most parents like me changing a diaper can be a nightmare. 🤢 It’s not only due to the rancid smell these little angels somehow make, but more often than not it’s because they just don’t stay still during the diaper change.

Toddlers getting their diapers changed can squirm more than a worm avoiding the hook. 😂 My fiancee has had many occasions where our son has just been too much so she had to go rinse him off in the tub. I figured if we’re having this much trouble than the other parents out there must be going through the same struggle. Bellow DaysoftheDad has come up with 5 great tips for parents to use when changing their squirming, wiggly babies so life can be just a smidgen easier. 😊

Help with the transition 🧸

This means to lead playtime to where the changing will take place. As you can imagine no one wants to be uprooted from what they’re interested in doing to do something they don’t particularly like. If you see that your child is playing with their toys, or currently in the land of imagination, then try to get involved with the playtime. Become genuinely interested in what they’re doing so that they know you’re there for them. As you play with your child slowly lead them to where the diaper changing will take place and then explain that the playtime will continue after a quick intermission.

This will help your child ease into getting changed so it’s not so sudden causing them to rebel against you. I also love this option as it presents a wonderful chance to bond with your little cutie. Another great thing about this is the amount of respect the parent shows to their child since the parent is leading the child instead of ordering them.

Get them giggling 🤣

As they often say laughter is the best medicine, and in this case it’s also a wonderful method to use in changing a diaper. While you change your baby don’t just have a straight face, or a face of disgust due to the contents of the diaper. Try to be goofy with the baby to get their mind off their diaper being changed so that they aren’t trying to run away naked or flip over. I like to use my son’s feet to block his view of me in order to play peek-a-boo. It’s not that hard to make a baby laugh just make a funny face, noise or use a funny voice. If you’re just not goofy then try smiling a lot and joke about how dirty the diaper is that’ll get that baby smiling.

Sing a song 🤩

Believe me when I tell you, “Your child DOES NOT care if you don’t sound like the next Beyonce or Freddy Mercury.” These little bundles of joy will treat you better than Randy Jackson did to contestants on American Idol when it first stated.

They are also literally brand new to this world so they will not care what genre you sing to them. I’ve seen other dads sing anything from pop to heavy metal music with the baby lighting up more than New York at night. Even if you don’t know a song, just singing anything you’re saying to them will put their mind at ease as you deal with their tender areas.

Look at the design on the diaper 😲

A lot of parents don’t know that the diapers they buy actually have an outline on them showing where to stick the tabs so the diaper fits snug yet comfortably. This tip will have you looking like a pro with lightning fast changing times. Heck maybe you’ll set a world record now! 🤣 But in any case I have noticed this on many of the brands we have bought for our little guy. If the diaper doesn’t have the indicators on it then I have found that it’s two inches between the tabs when they are put in place. If you’re faster with the change then it gives them less time to escape you.

Double team it!

One of the most under used tips of all time is to help each other during the diaper change. This is one that really helps for those times the diaper is full to the brim. It can take a lot of wipes to get those kinds of messes cleaned up so it helps to have a couple extra hands to hold their legs up, get the wipes ready or distract the child so they don’t get it everywhere. Don’t leave your partner hanging as this can be a great chance for you to show them some support and do things as a family.

So the next time you’re facing changing time with a overly dramatic toddler try these tips out. Parenting can be a rough but you don’t have to do it alone, we have to work together to make the world a better place for the future! 👊