Diaper Changes Are a Nightmare!

What I'd do with some of mine when they'd go through this phase was basically sit on them, lol. I don't have a problem man handling my kids to get diapers changed. I just put my legs over their arms and do my thing! Sometimes, you just don't have time to be the nice guy, lol.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

One year olds are just getting the hang of moving around on two feet, he wants to explore and practice getting around right now. Hang in there.

At his age, my son was the same way. He grew out of it after a couple of months. It is probably just a phase, with the next phase being him running from you ever time you try to change his diaper.

Okay, you might not be crazy about this idea, but it worked for me. I had the same issue with my now two year old about a year ago. I would take his hips and firmly bump them to the floor and tell him, "No, we have to change your diaper. You have to stop it." If he continued to fight, I continued to pick up his hips and bump them down. He got the idea pretty quickly. Keep in mind that I wasn't hurting him, but I was being very firm with my voice and my touch. This can get WAY out of hand, trust me. Now we are potty training, so more fun fun! Good luck to you!

He needs a swat on the bum, not positive reinforcement and distractions.

I know it might be difficult to bring yourself to do, but a swat to the naked tushie about .... I'm thinking around a week should be all it takes. He needs to know that the behavior is unacceptable. Our daughter did this very thing - she started to go CRAZY for diaper changes. We had actually let it go too far, just trying to do it quickly so she'd stop complaining, but realized that we were basically dealing with disobedience and a battle of wills -a battle it was essential to win, not just so we could change diapers, but so that a clear, "I'm the mommy" line was established.

Good luck to you!

My son does the same thing!! He is only 10 months old but he is a bugger. I have resorted to smacking his butt (not to hard but hard enough to let him know I mean business) and laying him back down on the changing table. When he is on the floor and I change him I'll put my leg over him to hold the little sucker down so I can strap the thing on. I know that this sounds a bit barbaric but usually after he gets a tap on the hinney he calms down ( note there may be a second of crying between the bad part and the calm part). Well this seems to almost work for me but even if u think i''m nuts you know that others are having the same problem.
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good luck
A.

Hi Becky -

This is quite common, you're not alone! Why not try changing his diaper in the same place each time for a while - the changing table if he's not too big for that, and everything is in reach so you don't have to turn your back etc. My 1 yr old son is fine on his changing table, because he's so used to it, although he's a challenge on the floor, and won't stay still. We make it fun to be on there - I blow rasberries on his tummy, and make silly faces, tickle him, and basically make him laugh. I also look him in the eye and tell him what we are doing as we do it. This works wonders with my son in almost any tricky situation. I find really looking at him in the eyes and talking/reasoning with him as if he was an older child works very well. If he's upset about doing something, just explaining in a calm voice why we have to do it - i.e. he'd be very uncomfortable if we left his dirty diaper on him, and he'd get a diaper rash etc., etc. Something about the tone of the voice, and the way you treat them with respect seems to get through even if they can't understand everything you are saying! Also, I've tried introducing the potty to my son. If I can tell he's about to do a poo, I say let's sit on the potty, ok? And then put him on there. If I get the timing right, and he has a bowel movement I make a big fuss, we clap hands and I tell him what a good big boy he is. He also sits on there just before bath time, because I noticed that he was peeing almost everytime he got in the water. So, when the water is running, he sits on there, and he usually has a pee. Again, we make a big fuss, and he looks at it, and feels really proud. Perhaps adding this dimension gradually, without pressure, just almost for fun, might help take the focus off of the diaper changing as well, and if anything help you need to change them a bit less. One more thing, if he's very active, and standing, and making some progress on the potty, maybe think about using pull up pants? You can then just pull them up when he's standing, and no worries about making him lie down if he's just too busy to want to do that. Good luck with it!

A.

Hi Becky...I know this sounds horrible but its not... I put my son on the ground, and I use my leg as a holding device!! ust be sure to not put weight on his chest and stomach. It prevents him from rolling over, standing up and making a mess of the diaper change. My son (15 months) eventually figured out that mommy is going to get that diaper changed with or without his consent so he quit after a while. I have to laugh because I wasn't going to send you my response thinking I would get some sort of backlash from other readers so I checked some of the responses just now and am happy knowing that I'm not the only one who uses the "pinning" technique! Ha! Best of luck to you!

I feel your pain! I know it's hard to do, but try to keep yourself calm and relaxed before you start the whole process. They actually do sense if you're nervous/tense and react negatively. My son just turned 1 and does the same thing. I have found that after he's woken up from a nap/bedtime, I give him something to drink before changing him & he seems to be much more tolerant. I also, and I know you've tried this too, tried to just sit him on the changing table for about 15 seconds so he can grab something of interest before lying him down to change him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

When my son went through that stage, we gave him a special toy to play with when we changed him to keep him occupied. Also, place a picture or poster on the ceiling above the changing table/area so that they have something to keep their focus. And then be as quick as possible.

My daughter is 15 months old and does the same thing, but not to the degree it sounds like your son! And worse, we use cloth diapers so it takes longer!! And there are no pull up alternatives! At this age, your child is just being a child, not trying to "test" you or be misbehaved. I always think distraction is the best thing, not discipline!!

I agree with the one person who said stickers!! They work great because children at that age are fascinated with them and if you stick one right on their shirt..it distracts them for a good minute!! And then when they are good, remember to tell him how good he has been and reward him with another sticker...maybe this time in a sticker book so he can look at all the stickers. I know my daughter loves this!

Good luck and stay positive!!!!! It is so true that they are only young for such a short period of time!!

I hate to say this but it is just a phase they all go through. Now that they have mobility and a sense of independence they don't want to be pinned down.
You just have to be quick. I try to use the floor as much as possible for my son. The babysitter can distract him more than I can and still uses the changing table but he cries and screams the whole time. If I remember correctly by two years old my daughter was letting me change her diaper again without a fuss.
Good luck.
PS Like another poster I also use pullups.

we had the same problem with our son and used household items in a container next to the diaper area. We put a couple of wooden spoons, an old cell phone, spare house keys, plastic cup and comb in a basket and would hand him one of the things everytime we changed the diaper. It worked most of the time. We only used items he didn't get his hands on at any other time, so they were new to him.
Hope this helps.
D.

Hi. My son fights it too...and he has been for a long time. He's a little better now that he is 2, but not much. I don't get it since he's been getting his diaper changed EVERYDAY since he was born! One mother, who was dealing with the same problem, once said it can sometimes feel like "wrestling a wild boar to the ground!".

One thing that helped around the 1 year mark was stickers. I would put them on his hand or shirt and he would get interested in them instead of with what I was doing. I carried stickers (only paper ones incase they started to go into his mouth) in the diaper bag. They were a lifesaver for awhile. Oh, and another trick we used to do is put him on the floor, then place one leg over his hips to keep him from rolling over and making a mess. This trick also keeps his hands out of what is going on. Good luck!

I have experienced the same thing with my son, but I have to admit it was just a phase of a few weeks. I tried restraining him by putting my leg over his torso so he couldn't wiggle too much. If you want a quick and easy fix, without having to deal modifying his behavior or having consequences/rewards, I do have a friend who swears by lollipops. The child is only allowed to have a lollipop during the period of changing the diaper. She said it has worked with all 3 of her kids. I haven't tried it personally but you never know if it is something he will respond to. Nonetheless, good luck!

Hi Becky,

That can be frustrating. Some babies just hate to have their diapers changed. Have you tried different positions? At my son's preschool they do diaper changes standing up. For poopies, they have the kids bend over and touch their toes. After they are all cleaned up, they give them a wipe so they can "clean themselves". The kids area a little older (18 months - 2.5), but it may work for your son - or at least make it interesting for him.

Good luck!

J.

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My son went through the same stage around that age. A friend recommended I use pull-ups. He was able to stay standing during a change which was better for his mood. If the diapering needed "more attention" I would put his special diapering show on TV (Frosty:). He would only see this paticular video when I changed him. I think it kept him interested because it was a special dvd. Plus, he doesn't watch tv much to begin with so it was a double bonus. Good luck...hopefully, it's just a stage :)

Standing up worked better for me and my son! A good time to try Pull Ups?
My great nephew is also a Super Escape Artist and my niece just pins him down the best she can.
I know it's tough. Keep trying.

how about his favorite tv show or video? put it only on for diaper changing.

Does he do the same for dad?

Is his butt sore?

Another pinning technique is to lay him down on the floor, sit on your butt to his right and put your left leg over his mid-section (not too tight, just enough so he can't twist). I also give a toy when I do this just so they do have something to occupy them if they decide not to scream. It's usually over with in less than a minute. I have three boys (two are 11 months, one is 2 1/2) and this has worked like a charm with all of them. And, yes, they do get the message quickly that they aren't going anywhere!

Hi Becky. I'm right there with you. My 2 1/2 yr old is nasty to change, but he's my third, so I've learned a few things over these past few years. The main thing is, it will eventually be over!! (Hello potty training!). I've learned that my kid's pretty tough, so I manhandle him a bit. I grab both ankles with one hand while undoing the diaper with the other. Then I wipe him, and lift his legs up in the air while placing an already opened diaper under him. Then I ease him down and finish the job while putting my face to his. I usually get my hair pulled or my cheeks pinched, but the job gets done. My trick is to have everything ready before I undo the dirty diaper (wipes ready, garbage bag open, diaper opened). And no, there's no bruising, marks on his ankles, so I must be applying just enough force to get the job done without hurting him physically (just his toddler pride!) Good luck!

Hi Becky!

I"ve given up on the idea that my little one will EVER like having his diaper changed. We normally change him while he is running around. It makes my life and his life much easier. One day soon he wont be in diaper so i just accommodate to his needs.

Hi Becky. My son went through this stage, also. I changed him on the floor and would kneel at his feet for the diaper change. When he struggled and tried to get up, I would put my chest over him so he couldn't move. I wouldn't actually put my weight on him, just put my body there to block him from getting up or rolling over. And I would also cover his face with kisses. That got him laughing instead of crying and it stopped me from getting mad about him struggling for the diaper change. I would stay there until he stopped struggling and once I went back to change the diaper I'd repeat it if he started struggling again. He figured out that he had to stay still. Good luck!

Hi Becky,
I completly agree with Rachel M. and her advice to dicispline rather than allowing yourself to be manipulated by your child. Too many people feel that young children do not have the ability to understand right from wrong, but they do. It is a battle of the will and who is really in charge. This is not a battle about changing his diaper, it is a battle about who is in charge. And as a parent this is a battle you must win! By allowing your child to behave in this manner and then "rewarding him with treats", you are just reenforcing the behavior and that he is in charge.
I know that it is difficult to discipline children at such a young age, but it will pay off in the long run.

Oh boy! (and I do mean, oh BOY)....I had one of those!!

Change him on the floor....(be ready to go when you get down there)...sit with your legs out, lay him down and put his right leg under your left leg, and his left leg under your right leg. He's now pinned and can't get up until his little hiney is all clean & fresh! He'll eventually get the picture (probably sooner rather than later) that it only takes a minute and it's not that big a deal.

Best of luck!!

I have had the same problem for several months. My son is almost 13 months old and we use Pampers easy ups during the day. They are not training pants, just pull up diapers. It works great! The only problem is that you cannot use them for bedtime. They will leak if you leave them on too long so we use Huggies overnights for bedtime. That way we only have to struggle with one diaper change right before bed.

Been there!

My son likes to pick a toy or a book to explore during some of his changes, and I encourage that. He doesn't always want to, though, so there's no guarantee.

When my son was really fighting, I decided to invent Diaper Treats. It's been working like a charm. Now, we started having issues aroung 18 months, so I can't speak to doing this with a child under 1 yr. It came about because we had Smarties from a party goodie bag, and I was getting kicked and dealing with a mess.

So, here's what I did: I told him if he was good through the whole change, he'd get a special treat. Of course, he had no idea what I was talking about. I waited until the first time we had a change that had perfect cooperation from lying down to getting redressed. Then I awarded him his prize (a candy he'd never had before, and loved). He got one piece, and asked for more. I told him he would get another one the next time he was as cooperative through the change. The first time he didn't earn a treat after I started this he threw a full tantrum, which I ignored until he calmed down, and explained that I couldn't give him a treat unless he cooperated. That was when it clicked for him.

There are days when he only earns one treat, but it's a routine now, and he understands. I plan to continue this and change it over to a potty treat when the time is right: he won't get treats anymore for diaper changes, but for using the toilet.

Good luck! I hope you find something that works well for you!