The Bottom Line...

What’s so special about a nappy change? That’s a diaper change for all you lovely Americans :)

No one can dispute that you change a ton of nappies when you have a baby. I have changed way more than most in my 20+ years in childcare and with my twins! It’s probably safe to say I’ve changed tens of thousands as the average number of nappies a baby goes through in its first year are 2000 -2200!

That’s a lot of time spent on the changing mat so why not make good use of that time.

Don’t just rush through it and move on.

Use it as a bonding time with your child. By rushing it tells your child that you are only interested in finishing the job. This might make them feel like they’ve done something wrong or gross and they might develop feelings of shame around their very normal and necessary bodily functions. So, slow down, use gentle hands not busy hands, be more gentle in your words and actions to reassure your little one that all is well.

Use all this time on the changing mat to develop language skills and vocabulary.

Simply narrate what you are doing so that your little one makes connections between the words you use and the actions you take. This helps them understand what is happening to them and predict what will happen next, letting them feel a little more in control of the situation.

As they get older you can ask them to point to their tummy, knees, toes, etc and eventually they can name what you point to.

When your little one is able, let them get more involved in the process.

Let them hold the clean nappy, pull a wipe from the pack, pull up their own trousers, etc. This is the beginning of the independence they will eventually need when they start potty training.

It is absolutely vital that you do not comment or let it show if you are faced with a gross nappy.

A simple statement like “Eww! That’s a smelly one.” or “Whoa! That’s huge.” might lead children to believe that they’ve done something wrong or gross. If this happens repeatedly it might create an unhealthy understanding of their bodies and bodily functions. By you responding to smells and private parts in a respectful tone and way helps children understand that what their body is doing is normal and healthy.

If your child is deeply engaged in playing, abruptly yanking them away for a nappy change without warning startles them and will probably make the nappy change harder for everyone. Waiting a few minutes won’t harm your child’s health and hygiene. Please notice, I said minutes not hours!

So, the bottom line (pun intended!) is use this special down time to connect with your child. Have a chat, sing a song, blow a raspberry.

Just enjoy this time together.