Every time my husband and I try to change our 14 mo old's diaper it is MAJOR drama. He tries to wiggle out of our grip and screams at the top of his lungs with crocodile tears to follow. We are both full-time workers and he is with a stay-at-home mom sitter most of the day during the week. He does NOT do that for our sitter.
Please help!!! Any ideas, suggestions, experienced advice? Anything ...
Thank you!
Thank you all so much for your good advice. I consider both of us a no-nonsense parents, so we've pretty much tried many tricks from simply ignoring it to the punishment of a crib exile. For now we pretty much use a different tactic every time, depending on his mood. All in all, I think ignoring it works best, because eventually he stops fighting, but vocally he still makes sure to let us know how he feels about it.
Give him something to play with while you are changing him. Something he has to work on a little or something he always wants to play with but is not allowed to without mommy or daddy present.
Good luck!
My son was the same and we switched him to pull ups at that stage and changed him standing up. If he had poop we'd take it off laying down but then he could stand up as soon as he was wiped clean. The pull ups are easy to put on as he can just step into them. Much easier than fighting with the tabs. They saved us many battles trying to make him lay still for the change.
Ask to watch your sitter change your son before you leave to take him home. He has many more diaper changes by her during the day. He is used to her method. It also gives you a chance to see what she might be doing that you do not want her to do. Some toddlers at this age also learn "no wiggling" said out loud by mom and dad during diaper changes. They try to be the boss. Remember, You are the BOSS!
Hey E.,
Kids do the darnest things don't they. I would ask your sitter what is her strategy, does she do anything differently then what you or your hubby does? Otherwise, try to see if he would be interested in going from a diaper to a pullup maybe he wants to go in something different.
J. Z.
Independent Shaklee Distributor
www.shaklee.net/Z.
I suggest ignoring it...he's looking for a rise out of you. My daughter is almost 2 and she still kicks me during diaper changes (thinking it's hilarious)--to the point where I actually get bruises sometimes. I tell her that it hurts and that she shouldn't kick...all that stuff and she still does it because she knows I'll react (usually by grabbing her ankles and holding them tight.) So, I try to just ignore it the best I can and hope that it'll pass. It's SO HARD to be firm and also ignore behaviors--so good luck!
My guess would be that the day care provider is a no nonsense kind of person. She makes your boy just do what he is supposed to do.
Do not let your boy make diaper changing into a game. Start with a no nonsense attitude. We are going to change your diaper (Period... Amen). Do not cajole. Do not put up with any shenanigans. Just change him and do it fast. Once you are done, stand him up and send him on his way. Ignore those crocodile tears. If he cries, ignore him. If he is quiet and lets you change him without the fight, then praise him.
YMMV
LBC
Do you still use a changing table? We used a table with our daughter until she was potty trainned she was never brave enough to try to wiggle on the table.
my son is 13 months and doing the exact same thing. I started giving him a small book with colorful pictures or an animal from the playschool sets. this keeps him occupied long enough to change him and it's been much easier. good luck.
Brings back memories. Kids do this! At lease the little girl I watched did it with her parents and my son did it with me and my husband. What we did was just stuck in there but the lady I babysat for did something great! She made a box of toys and let her daughter pick one out when it was time to change her. But she had to put it back when they were finished. She put things in there like a watch and some not kid proof but it kept her attention while they had to change her.
I had similar problems with my daughter. I started playing "where's your......fill in body part" She learned where all her parts were including chin, elbow, eyebrow, neck, armpit and diaper changing because much easier. Every now and then she would throw a fit. That is when you ignore the inappropriate behavior and just get the job done. Good luck!
An idea that I had (that got into "Parents" magazine couple years ago:)) was to blow bubbles out of gum while changing our son. It worked wonderfully for us and I guess for other people too since it was chosen.
I do the "Where's your..." body part game too. It keeps my 20 month daughter occupied and you don't need to always have a special toy handy. My 3 1/2 son likes to play it with her too while she's getting her diaper changed.
Dear E., I have had four children, and my last child always would do this. My solution was to always change her in her crib. She couldn't get away. If she did start her yelling and running around the crib, I would simply say No in a firm voice with a stern face. If that didn't work and would leave her in the crib for a couple of minutes and leave the room. After a while, she caught on that her game was over !! Good Luck!! M.
My daughter does the same thing. I've tried different things, depending on her mood. Changing her in her crib - theres' more room to spread out, change her standing up; change her on the sofa where she can see the tv.
M.
I would introduce him to the potty/toliet in a fun, natural way. "Diaper Free Baby" by Christine Gross-Loh is a great book.
My daughter did the same thing at about that age. I started changing her while she was standing up instead of fighting her to lie down on the table. She was much more patient about standing still than she was about lying down. At daycare they don't have a problem changing her on a changing table, but somehow Mom gets special tantrums. It makes changing poopy diapers a little tricky, but for me it was easier to change the diaper quickly than to have her roll around in it first.
Hi E.. I have a 16 mo old son and he is the exact same way. It started about 3 months ago and in your words major drama. I have a little drawer on my changing table that I have filled with little toys when it's time to change his diaper I open and let him pick one. For the most part this works but sometimes he'll just pick a toy and throw it. I do try and switch the toys around and put new stuff in the drawer. My son is also the same way with my mother-in-law who will sometimes watch him. It does seem to just be with me and my husband that he pulls out the drama. I wonder why they do it.
You can ask your sitter to show you how she does it. Maybe she does something special. Maybe its the location of the change (table or floor or bed) YOu can also change your son in front of the sitter and see how he behaves. All this to figure out why he puts up a fuss w/ you.
Lastly you can firmly hold him still until he is done fussing. Talking calmly and soothingly to him to help him relax and hopefully he will. When he is done protesting then change him. And praise him for being still and quiet.
