Baby Or Toddler Fighting Diaper Changes? These Hacks Stop The Madness

If your baby fights diaper changes, rolls around, kicks, squirms, and prevents you from getting the job done cleanly, these hacks will help.

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All day every day.

That’s how often you have to change your little ones.

And if you are having a power struggle with something you do all day every day, well, you are annoyed all day every day.

The trouble is, the more something happens (i.e. the more baby fights diaper changes) the more they end up doing it because they get such an interesting reaction from mom and dad!

We make funny faces, funny noises, and get all animated! The key here is to remain calm, make some changes, and stick with them.

They may never love love diaper changes, but they will let you get on with it and get back to their day.

Here are some typical manifestations:

These are typical ways in which your baby fights diaper changes. Next, we’ll get into what to do.

• Crying, fussing, and whining
• Rolling over
• Kicking
• Trying to run away
• Bouncing up and down

I’m sure there are more, but those are the biggies and will get us started.

Read: Why You’ve Got An Angry Baby – And What To Do

How to stop the diaper changing battles

If you feel like diaper changes are now a dramatic affair, or if they are actually becoming quite stressful because babies are squirming and getting their mess everywhere… these tips will help.

Prevent crying from the cold

Babies who are cold during diaper changes are very likely to be resistant and cry. It’s no wonder!

• Change them in the warmest room of the house
• Warm your hands up beforehand by rubbing them together or blowing on them
• Get everything you need right beside you before you start so it takes less time
• Don’t get riled up or fry your nerves because they are crying. They’ll stop when it’s over.
• Give them a little tummy time beforehand so they have got a bit of play in.

Have a specific toy (or object) for the diaper changes

Put a certain special or interesting toy (or anything they don’t normally play with, really) near the diaper changing area but out of sight or reach.

Then, when you begin changing diapers, grab it and hand it over. If you regularly change diapers all over the house – and that seems to make the issue worse – then keep the diaper changing Object Of Interest in their room.

And change their diapers there.

Give a spoonful of something good

My dog trainer gave me advice once on how to keep a dog still or calm while washing… to slather some peanut butter on the side of the tub while you wash.

Well, babies are not dogs, and we don’t change their diapers in tubs, but I think you get the principle.

You can give your baby a frozen mesh food feeder to suck on or your toddler a spoonful of something yummy. Just a little bite, a tiny snack, something to get their focus off the diaper changing shenanigans.

Help your little one practice lying still with your hand on their tummy in intervals

If you are dealing with a frequent fighter of diaper changes, and it’s making you nuts, focus on it for a while.

Throughout the day, when you think about it, practice having your little one lie still. You can turn it into a game. Lie down beside them, even!

Tell them you are practicing to be still during diaper changes, and count to 5 (or whatever number you choose) while they lie still.

This is something like training in times of non confrontation. Always more effective than yelling when you’re angry.

Try a “after this, we’ll do that, if you do this” approach

If you have a toddler, they’re able to understand what you’re saying when you say it.

Before you start changing their diaper – when they are able to listen to you and make eye contact – tell them what you expect.

Use my South African method of getting cooperation, and tell your little one they can do something they enjoy after they cooperate in their diaper change.

But not if there are shenanigans.

Read: Quiet time (Rest time) for Toddlers: All You Need to Know

Try changing from the other direction so you can stabilize them

This really only works if you change baby’s diaper on the floor! I probably changed 50% of my diapers from 5 kids on the floor, so if that’s you, this is worth a try.

Now, this is a weird one, but novel for mom and baby. You can better prevent your little one from rolling all around if you change your position.

Put baby on the floor with their heads towards you, and their feet away from you. Then position baby’s body firm between your knees so they can’t roll over.

Change the diaper that way, sort of “upside down” from where you’d normally do it.

Mean business, be firm and kind. Make it a wall

Now, babies and early toddlers (aside from those 1 year old tantrums) don’t really require a lot of disciplining.

Mainly, you organize their environment and day so they do what you need them to do. You meet their need for cuddles and you meet their need for sleep and they’re usually okay.

However, at times like this – when they are rolling around, fussing, whining, crying, getting poop everywhere because they won’t sit still – you’ll have to pull out your boundaries.

Kids respond when their mothers create walls. You simply, without going all angry and hysterical, do not let them roll over, buck, or kick.

Change location for novelty.

Hold them still while they wiggle.

You remain calm and provide a distraction.

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