Baby Talk May2019

Baby & Toddler
Wonders Of Childhood
No more
battles
during
changing
time!
Babies are such bundles of joy, aren’t they?
That is, until, they start to develop their own
little opinions - one of which being that lying
still while having their diapers or clothes
changes just isn’t their thing anymore. And
so begins the diaper table wars!
Try this!
If you need to, try letting
baby see what it’s like to
be the changer, as opposed
to the change. Letting him see
his favourite soft toy having
a diaper change may help
him be more accepting of
the diaper changing
concept.
When diaper-changing time comes, parents either have an
easy time or they don’t. Many parents have to put up with
a whole lot of fussing and squirming just to put on fresh
diapers for their little one. Things get pretty stressful at times,
not to mention messy. There are however, ways to handle this
without losing your cool, and here are some of them.
Distract!
Distraction works, but you’ll have to know the art of it
before you can keep using this trick. Try keeping a basket of
interesting, colourful toys in a basket nearby the changing
table (Make sure you can access this basket without leaving
your baby unattended at the table. Ensure too that the toys
in here are exclusive in a sense that your baby only gets to
see and touch them during changing times at the table. Basic
things like wooden spoons and empty boxes work just fine
too, as long as they seem to hold his attention. For some
babies, this trick only works with things that don’t seem like
toys — things they don’t usually get to play with. You can
even let baby choose a toy to play with during changing
times. Also, change or rotate the toys in this basket often
enough for baby not to lose interest.
You can even try keeping a bottle of lotion on the table.
Squeeze a drop onto your baby’s hand and let him rub his
hands together - some babies find it entertaining!
Entertain!
Objects aren’t the only things that can be distracting — you
can be too. “Make funny faces, dance, clap, pretend to drop
something and say “oh-oh!” - anything that'll entertain him
should work.
Here’s one trick babies may find entertaining too: Jokingly
‘threaten’ to put a diaper on your head… and do it! It’ll be
hilarious enough to catch his attention and make him stop
flailing.
Make a change in scenery
If the changing table is getting boring, take the changing task
somewhere else, such as the floor or on the bed. Not only will
your baby have a change in scenery, but you’ll also have the
added freedom of being able to change baby anywhere else
and not just at one spot in the house.
Get baby involved
As babies get older and the toys trick stop working their
charm, try getting baby involved by giving him some ‘duties’
during diaper changing times. Let him choose the diaper, or
pull out wipes or hand you items like clothing, etc. In addition
to giving baby something to focus on, it may work as a prep
for potty training.
26 BabyTalk | May 2019