1. Distract, distract, distract. I often give my son something to play with, like a small, (glass-free) framed photo of my husband and me. He loves to say “dada” (his very first word)! If that’s not around, my keys do the trick!
2. Connect with him. I tell my little buddy “El bebé está caca?” He loves this because he now knows to reply “Caca!” Our little exchange relaxes him and makes him less resistant to getting his diaper changed.
3. Tickle him (it always works!). Before I undo the soiled diaper, I tickle my son and get him laughing for about a minute. Usually one tickle will do the trick, but if not, then I’ll tickle him throughout the diaper change. Although he moves, he won’t try to turn over on the changing table.
4. Don’t be in a rush. With my older son, I used to rush the process – which led to a diaper put on wrong, a not-so-clean bum, and a lot of stress on my part (and crying on his). I’ve learned to slow down, smile, and explain every little detail of the diaper change to make it more entertaining for him and less stressful for me.
5. Get silly with your baby. I’ll smell my son’s tushy and say “fo fo fo,” in a dramatic expression of how stinky it is. Or, I’ll open up my mouth and go ahhhhhhhh for 30 seconds. He’ll put his finger in my mouth and I’ll pretend that I’m going to bite him. In both cases, he laughs out loud!
6. Keep changing areas around the house. Sometimes my kid just doesn’t want to leave the area he’s playing in. No need to move him. Instead, I keep a couple of portable changing pads, wipes, diapers, and ointment around the house to avoid a power struggle. He gets to play with a toy and I get to clean him up.
7. Sing his favorite song. If my son starts to fuss, I sing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” while changing his diaper. He loves to mimic the hand movements back to me. I celebrate his achievement by saying, “Muy bien!”
8. Hand over the electronics. When all else fails, I give my boy my iPhone. What kid doesn’t love looking at pictures or swiping through the icons?
More Baby Fun:
- 6 Baby Proofing Tips You’ve Never Heard Before
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- Emergency Kit for Baby: All the Essentials You Need
Photo: Getty
