It is not an easy job to deal with toddlers, especially during a diaper change. Toddlers are different from infants, so they do not stay calm while changing their dirty diapers. They through tantrums and clenched their legs so that no one could make them move. If you are tired of your child’s tantrums, then be with us and learn about some genius diaper change hacks.
A toddler clenching legs together during a diaper change is a pain for the parents. It is possible to stop kids from clenching their legs if moms become patient during a diaper change. Some techniques like making him fly in the air, singing songs, blowing kisses on bellies, and replacing diapers will prevent toddlers from becoming stiff during diaper changes.
Importance Of Changing Nappy or Diaper At A Proper Time
There are times when mothers do not feel to change their baby’s diaper as babies clench their legs together. It is hard to pull babies when they start grasping. Most of the time, mothers keep their babies’ wet diapers unchanged for a long time. This practice might result in yeast infection in babies’ body parts and make them sick.
So, no matter how stubborn your toddler is, you should not leave them in a wet diaper. It might be just a wet diaper for you, but this wet diaper invites bacteria. To be more conscious about this, you can make a diaper-changing timetable. The time chart will help you keep track of your child’s diaper time.
Why Do Toddlers Through Tantrums During Diaper Change
If you are a mother of a big kid or a toddler, then by now, you must have already started to hate changing diapers. Toddlers go through a phase where they begin learning about their independence. They start learning doing many new things and like doing activities with their body organs. So, they do not like any interruptions while doing any activities.
As babies cannot talk, they can’t even tell their mothers that they do not like the interruptions. When mothers forcefully try to change diapers, children clench their legs in self-defense. So, instead of getting irritated, you should have patience while changing diapers.
Whether you are a mother or doing a job at a daycare, you should understand the reason behind such tantrums. It is essential to learn about children’s behavior to understand them better.
Sometimes when you forcefully try to change a dirty diaper, your kids get scared and start clenching their legs. Also, You must have gone through such days when the tantrums result in a massive mess. Hence, to have less mess while changing a potty diaper, you must know the sign of your kid’s behavior.
Being a toddler is just a phase that every child goes through. So, the technique of changing a baby’s diaper without any tantrums is more or less the same for all. Therefore, instead of losing your patience, take a deep breath and try new changing methods for diapers so that the toddlers stay calm.
Are you Looking For New Methods Of Diaper Changing?
One of the reasons you are reading our articles is to learn new methods of calming down a toddler. I guess you are already tired of just saying “NO” in a stern voice. Because your cold voice never calms down your toddler, he might become more stubborn.
Sometimes when you see a toddler clenching legs together during a diaper change, you run out of techniques to settle your child. The frequent movement includes twisting and turning around the whole body. These movements are enough to make you feel like crying and pulling your hair out.
It is heart-wrenching for the parents when they fight and force their toddlers during diaper changing time. These situations make parents worry a lot, but instead of worrying, they should focus on the underlying issues beneath the diapers.
What To Do When Toddler Fights During Diaper Change
Instead of giving up on changing diapers, you should learn how to change diapers in a fun way. A kid hates diaper change time and through tantrums. To control your child’s tantrums, you might have tried many techniques. But nothing worked. Not every tactic needs to work on children.
Before applying any diaper changing techniques to your kids, you should first know the reasons behind the tantrums. It will help to have some ideas on how to distract toddlers during diaper changes.
One of the reasons for throwing tantrums might be a lack of sleep or having a bad mood after waking up. No one like to be disturbed after waking up from sleep. So, like others, kids also have the exact nature. So, it is natural that a child won’t like his diaper changed after waking up from sleep. Rather he might be craving some food instead of wearing a diaper, which makes sense.
The only thing you could do is keep trying until you succeed in changing her diaper without any irritable behavior. At first, you need to know to make your baby feel comfortable. Try to understand what your baby wants other than changing pad. If you could read your baby, it would also help in potty training.
Therefore, be calm and have faith in us. Go through the points below to learn new techniques. You need to realize what your child wants before applying any methods.
1. Keep Everything Set Beforehand
You need to do everything fast if your baby is too cranky. It is an easily approachable way that you complete your task before your baby gets the time to get irritated. Most kids take a bit of a time to get cranky. So, it would be best if you’re ready before you start changing a nappy.
For example, before you wipe your baby, open the new diaper flat and keep it beside you. After that, keep the new diaper under the poopy diaper so that you get can quickly change it. Then instantly pull-ups the legs of your baby and wipe your baby.
Also, while cleaning the baby, do not forget to take several wipes. It will save you time. You can also set his pants beforehand to dress him at the exact moment. You have to remember that the faster you are easier the process will be.
2. Change Diapers In A Fun Way
Changing diapers will not seem like a big deal if you could do it in a fun way when you are applying fun activities, while diaper change will help to distract your baby. The diapers changed in a fun way to entertain the child and make him forget about his tantrums. We have discussed some methods to give you some ideas to engage your child’s diaper change process (click to expand):
To make diaper changes entertaining, you could lift your child and act like she’s a plane before holding her into your arms; open and set the diaper on the bed. Then when you finished playing with her, you could land her onto the diaper and change her diaper.
You could apply this method after the bath time. Because children often remain cranky after they get a bath. The reason might be that she does not like to bathe or she likes water. Whatever the reason, you could make her forget her lousy mood by lifting her.
So, you could quickly get rid of the crankiness of your child by lifting her and making her flow in the air. A child will burst into laughter and forget crying if you do this.
There is hardly any child who does not like to play peekaboo. You could easily distract a child even if she hates diapers. The Peekabo technique works quickly if you can make eye contact. You need to cover your baby’s face with your hand or a piece of small cloth. And as soon as you unveil the look, smile at her and say peekaboo!
Toddlers usually have sensitive bellies and could not help but laugh when you kiss their bellies. They feel delicate and get distracted. It is one of the favorite games of a toddler, and they love to feel ticklish.
You can continuously talk with your kid and make funny faces to grab your baby’s attention. When you do so, your baby feels connected with you. Children love to see varieties, so making looks will make them laugh.
Also, when you talk with them, they try to listen to you and forget about other things for a while. So, the baby’s full attention will be on you, making him forget that he hates diapers.
Babies have sensitive skin, and as a result, they are more precarious than an adult person. Tickling helps to make a good mood for babies. Play with your baby and tickle his feet or hand gently so that this could make him laugh. Laughter will help settle down the baby’s tantrums and let you do diaper changes.
Who does not like to listen to their mom singing? Moreover, babies have their favorite songs and the songs become more favorite when they hear them from their moms. So, you could sing a song to melt down your child’s tantrums during diaper changes.
These techniques will make diaper changes more fun and not scare your baby. Instead, your baby will get excited whenever you come diaper change.
3. Have a Constant Time Table
You need to set a specific time for changing diapers. If you keep changing the timetable, then your kid will not be able to know what to do next. Following a consistent routine will keep your toddlers on track. They will have an idea about their daily routine and automatically follow the pattern.
Also, when your kid knows about the routine, you do not have to nag them to make them do their work. By following this technique, you can give potty training to your children because this will help them to understand when to pee and go to the bathroom. You need to start the potty train of your baby from the age of two years.
So, instead of having an unorganized routine, be consistent with your child’s practice. When the routine sets in their mind, they will not try to defend themselves during diaper changes. There are some techniques which you could follow to
Make The Diaper Changes At The Same Time Every Day
Being cranky is just a phase of a toddler, and this phase will disappear if you make her change her diaper at the same time every day. For example, you could change her diaper after every nap she takes every day. This way, it will become her habit to have her diaper changed after waking up from a nap.
Make The Diaper Changes In The Same Place Everyday
Places matter a lot when you change your baby’s diaper. If you have a daughter, the area will play an essential factor. This technique works for the sons as well. Changing your baby’s diaper at the same place in your home will help to make this a normal activity.
Deliver Specific Words During Diaper Change
It would be best to deliver the same language or exact words while changing the diaper. It will help the baby catch your comments and get a mental setting about a diaper change. Also, you could use signs instead of words. There are baby signs language that will help them understand that it is time for their diaper change.
4. Encourage Your Kid By Praising Him
It is not easy for parents to potty-train their children. Before potty training, parents struggle with diaper changes. A kid hates diaper change and does like to do anything forcefully. If you force your kid to do anything, he will start crying, only worsening the situation. So, instead of pushing, start praising your kid for his positive behavior.
I am sure that there are such times when your kid does not disturb or become cranky during a diaper change. Do not take those incidents lightly. When you encounter such a time when your baby is entirely quiet about diaper change, praise her. Tell her that it is good behavior and encourage her to do this often.
You have to be expressive while praising her. Do not just say that ‘Oh, you are a good kid’ because such mere words will not encourage her. I would advise you to thank her and express how happy you are about her behavior. Also, you can tell her that it was a quick diaper change session, and she was helpful. These words will make her realize the worth of good behavior.
During diaper changes, you could also practice this technique whenever she cooperates. Praise her that she’s helpful and active in other activities also. You can make her remember how cooperative she was during the last diaper change. It will encourage her to do the same thing again.
5. Notice Her Mood And Pick a Good Time
Timing matters if you do not want your kid to cry during diaper changes. If she’s in the wrong attitude, you should be careful about your child’s mood and not pick a time for a diaper change.
It is normal to be in a bad mood after waking up. So, do not force your toddler to change her diaper just after she wakes up from sleep. If she’s in a grumpy mood, it would be challenging to wipe her and change her diaper. Instead, you could play with her and set her mood right.
Also, remember that never interrupt your baby in the middle of doing something. Babies get irritated when you call them in the middle of an activity, and they start crying. Instead of interrupting her from playing, you can set a time warning for her. For example, you can say that it is only 5minutes left for your diaper change.
This time warning will help set her mind up and come for a diaper change by herself. I would advise you to have a portable mat so that your baby does not have to walk further to change her diaper.
6. Distract Your Child In The Right Way
Toddlers tend to give attention to new things. They lose interest if you keep doing the same old thing repetitively. So, to keep your child distracted for a more extended period, you need to change your methods frequently.
Try to engage yourself while distracting your kid. It would be best to have an active conversation so that your toddler does not get bored. Parents give many things to their toddlers while changing diapers, starting from toys to a TV remote. But you will notice that toddlers will get distracted by those things for a shorter period.
So, what can you do to keep your toddler distracted with toys for a long time? The answer is simple. All you need to do is engage yourself with those your kid. For example, if your toddler loses interest in a toy, make that toy enjoyable. You could tell an interesting story about that toy before handing that over to your kid.
Telling stories will be more effective if you can make eye contact while telling the stories. It helps grab the toddler’s attention, and he will carefully listen to that story. Stories will give him a thrill about that toy, and the toy will become an interesting object for him.
Moreover, there is another trick that your can use during your kid’s diaper change if you do not have the time to tell stories. The trick is to hand over his current favorite toy. That means the specific toy that is on his current favorite list.
Before changing a diaper, if you see that your kid is holding a toy and playing with it, that specific toy is now his favorite. Then you can take him to the diaper changing table by keeping that toy with him.
7. Replace Diapers Or Start Potty Training
If you have done all the possible things to stop your toddler’s tantrums during a diaper change and nothing is working, then it is time you try something different. You could start with replacing the old diaper your toddler used. Maybe, you are using diapers for your toddlers that are time-consuming to put on. You could change those diapers with the pull-ups ones.
Another thing you could do is start potty training your toddler. Toddlers seem to be more irritated during diaper changes when they have hit the age of potty training. So, maybe it is time to potty train your toddler instead of forcing him for a diaper change.
All the methods mentioned above clearly tell you that there is still hope to control your toddler’s tantrums during a diaper change. So, without losing patience, take a deep breath for a moment and work on effectively distracting your kid.
How To Hold Baby’s Leg When Changing Diapers
You need to be careful when you pull a baby while changing his diaper. Babies are sensitive, and their bones are not as strong as adults. Holding your baby’s leg tightly will hurt them and make them cry. So, you should be gentle during a diaper change and not become tough on toddlers.
Follow the following tips to learn the proper methods to hold the baby’s leg when they keep daunting-
Step 1: Extend The Legs
Lay down the toddler on a soft changing table in a gentle way. Then slowly spread the baby’s legs apart from each other. Then before holding your baby, make sure that the fingers of your right hand are spread full apart.
Step 2: Hold The Baby’s Ankle
After you spread the fingers of your right hand apart, put your right hand onto the ankle of your toddler. You have to use your thumb and index finger to hold your baby’s right leg. Then use your ring finger and little finger to keep the other leg. You can pull up your baby’s leg by holding the ankle with one hand.
Step 3: Push The Legs
To wipe your child’s butt, push the legs towards his face. While you are pulling the leg with one hand, you have to wipe the butt of your baby with your other hand. Also, keep in mind that the legs need to be straight when pushing them.
These are steps that will help you hold your baby’s legs safely. Too much application of force will hurt and increase their tantrums.
What To Put On Baby While Changing A Diaper
When babies wear nappies all day, they quickly catch rashes on their skin. Toddlers have sensitive skin, so they will get rashes from wearing a diaper. Before putting on a diaper, there are some things that you need to put on your baby’s skin so that they can stay out of any fungal infection.
If you see rashes on your baby’s skin, do not be late to put a barrier ointment on his skin. You could use fragrance-free petroleum jelly as a barrier ointment. Petroleum jelly works best on a baby’s skin and heals the skin’s damage. Also, you can use powder before a diaper change to keep that area of your baby’s skin fresh.
After wiping your toddler, it is good to put powder so that the skin remains dry. If the skin remains wet, there are high chances of causing a fungal infection.
Bottom Line
As a mom, you can understand how difficult dealing with a toddler’s tantrums is. It is a matter of having great patience, and without patience, toddlers are impossible to deal with. If you are tired of dealing with your toddler’s diaper changes, then let me tell you that you still have hope.
There are ways to control your toddler’s tantrums during a diaper change. Forcing your toddler for diaper changes will bring no help. Instead, you have to make a diaper change session a fun experience. Try to attract the toddlers by doing several fun things. It will cause a good distraction and lower the toddler’s tantrums.
Moreover, besides making diapers a fun thing, you also have to maintain a proper timetable for changing diapers. Maintaining a good routine will automatically set the toddler to change his diaper when it is time.
Diaper changing itself is a challenging task, and the task become more complex when toddlers start to through tantrums. So, make your toddler’s diaper changes more manageable and fun by trying the methods we have explained.
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