Clothes that young kids can’t remove but are still easy to change?

[SinkGirl]

Does such a wondrous product exist and if so where can I find it?!

We have twins who are almost 4, both autistic and they’ve recently learnt to work zips. We had been using zip sleepsuits so they couldn’t get to their nappies to remove them or smear poo, but learning to work zips meant that no longer worked.

So we started putting their zip sleepsuits on backwards which has worked for a while. They need changing in the night often more than once, so it’s been slightly awkward but manageable as there’s a double zip so you can just unzip to the waist.

Woken up this morning to find DT1 starkers - no idea how he managed to remove it, but he has.

They currently sleep in safety beds which are like big mesh tents on a frame, loaned to us by a charity at the moment. If they smear poo over them during the night we won’t be able to easily clean them and have somewhere safe for them to sleep.

I’ve been looking at clothing for disabled children but the items that exist to prevent removal have a small zip at the shoulder at the back and that’s it. Changing them in the night would be a blinking nightmare (we usually change them while they are asleep as if they wake up they are up for hours) but seems like it’s going to be our only option.

Unless anyone here has any brilliant advice? Maybe I need to invent something 😂

Could you use something like a nappy pin at the top of the zip so it can't be undone?

Have you looked at the M&S range? They have an "easy dressing" range for SN children.

Or could you double up nappies overnight so you don't need to change them?

Honestly we’ve tried doubling up nappies, tried reusables, liners, every brand of disposable but they wee so much (crazy amounts) and then even if they don’t leak the discomfort of the full nappy wakes them up.

The M&S and similar ranges have the zip back ones which from looking at them look like they’d be super hard to undress them but will get a couple and try.

I thought about a nappy pin or similar but if they did manage to remove it they’d definitely hurt themselves with it.

I think I need to invent a childproof zip!

Hmm maybe those reusable nappy gripper things rather than a pin, unless they would eat them?

Something with buttons then sew up the buttons holes so they are quite tight. Would make taking them on and off tricky but still doable

Ideally I need to avoid anything they could remove (buttons, pins, grips etc) as they will chew them and possibly swallow them. It’s really tricky.

Just ordered some of the ones with short zips on the back, maybe it won’t be too tricky but If anyone else has any genius ideas please let me know!

I'd agree with others about using nappy pins, they won't come undone. I use them fulltime on my 3.5yo who is still in nappies and he can't undo them.

Could you stitch a piece of elastic over the end of the zip? Make it tricky to pull out but still possible for you to unzip it.

Dungarees with poppable legs?