Our crawling son is now really difficult to change - advice please.

[philthegeordie]

Our 10 month old son is now crawling and as a result is now really difficult to change. Before he'd lie back and let us get on with it, but now he really protests when we're trying to do put a fresh nappy on.

Any techniques, tips or explanations gratefully received!

Thanks

DS did this (and still occasionally does even today at nearly 2). I imagine simply because he wants to crawl as it is more interesting than lying back and having a nappy changed.

I find that the only way to stop him playing around is to try and distract him. So songs/funny faces above him, dangling something above him or giving him something he can hold up and play with generally do the trick.

Sometimes when he's feeling particularly willful it can end up in a bit of a gentle wrestling match with me trying to pin him down long enough to get the nappy on, but for the most part he now accepts that if he lies still it will all be over quickly and we can get on with more interesting things.

we have a fave toy for dd 16 months, that she only gets when she's geting changed. For us it's an old remote control .

(Although I will admit to putting on several nappies whilst chasing her round the room)

I reckon you've got a choice of 2 strategies -

1. keep an interesting toy handy by the changing mat and use it as a bribe to distract him

1. grab him under your left arm and ignore the complaints while doing the change as quickly as possible, then let him crawl off asap!

Put him sideways on to you, with his bum on the side of your most useful hand. Have the nappy and the wipes at that side.

Drape your other leg over his chest and gently pin him to the floor.

Go for it.

This transfomed our nappy changing wrangles, best £20 we spent!

www.rimbalzo.co.uk/Nursery/Rabbitts/RRABBITTS.htm

i used to but a sticker on their hand and let them try and peel it off.

stick a toy in your mouth and dangle it above them?!

i used to let them have the remote control too at nappy change time

Mine is a nightmare, we just end up in a battlezone!....she puts her fingers in it, wriggles away before I wipe it.... I have to be quite forecful to hold her down as she is pretty strong (gave me a bruise the other day on my arm!) Try giving him a little toy or some new to look at while you are doing it.

Thanks to everyone who replied! (I'm glad to hear from Suzy that I'm not the only one with an organically repatterened rug.) In retrospect I should have thought about the toy thing (Duh!) but you know how it is. I'm definitely going to try the sticker though! Thanks again Mumsnetters!

We just used to change them sideways on, holding both ankles in a firm grip with left hand and doing the business with the right hand.

Also putting them across your knees worked quite well as I think they twigged that rolling around would result in falling off. I remember watching an experienced CM change a toddler's nappy during toddler group and thinking, Oh, that's how you do it.

Get completely organised beforehand and hoist them right up by the ankles with your spare hand to wipe while they're occupied with the special changing toy (keys or remote worked marvels for me) Have something to drop the soiled nappy onto so you don't have to use two hands to wrap it up until after the new one is on. I used a piece of newspaper on the floor beside me but out of reach of little hands. During the worst of the wriggling phases, I changed them on the floor so at least they wouldn't fall off anything.

I used to ask them to show me various facial features while changing too -- show me your eyes, ears, nose, hair, eyebrows, etc., so their hands were occupied, if the toy or my keys got dipped in the poo.

DS (16mo) has been difficult to change since he started crawling too. I've found that distraction is probably the best solution especially if you give them something they don't usually play with e.g. your mobile phone, watch etc.

DS is now running around and has the knack of lulling you into a false sense of security by lying down quietly them taking off like a rocket just when you get the pooey nappy off!! He then runs around laughing which is usually followed by him sitting on the floor and leaving a lovely poo-mark

Physically restraining them also works, but sometimes they see it as a game....ho hum...

Singing to my two was the only thing that helped.

I used to sing 'this old manl' to DS & DD, it was a special changing mat version 'this old man , he played one, he played nicknack on my tum' (tickle tummy) etc - used to keep them giggling long enough for me to get on with the business.

Not sure I can recommend it, though, as I developed a habit of humming it whenever I was doing housework-DS is now 22 and I'm still doing it -drives DH nuts!

Agree with melly, the rabbits mat is a wonderful thing, would be on my essential mum list!

I have the same problem with my 9mo ds, he just never wants to hold still! I find it easier to change him when hes standing up holding onto the sofa, its impossible to make him lay still even if I distract him with a toy he still wriggles!

I remember this phase and used to drive me nuts. I found that putting a hat and a pair of glasses (I don't normally wear them) on me first got ds's attention long enough to get the job done. I had a supply of loads of different caps/straw hats/wool bobble hats that I used to get out and the look on his face was hilarious. I think the escaping phase only lasted a month or 2 so hang in there.

I used to do exactly the same as Colditz - they were both happy with it as I could play peepo over my leg, and it's a good way of keeping their hands out of any mess.

Staple gun. HTH

distraction, being uber-organised beforehand so everything was arranged within reach, and holding both ankles in one hand and wiping really quickly with the other while singing "special smelly bum songs". I seem to remember morphing into a CBeebies style monologue which distracted the DC for long enough to do what was needed (channel Sarah Jane or Mr Tumble )

I usually shove something in their hand, a dummy in mouth, do it really fast and sing old macdonald really really loudly.

Two words
CHOCOLATE BUTTON!

i stand mine up. he'll hold the sofa/chair/musical play table while i sort him out. if i lay him down he just gets up anyway.

Noisy game worked with mine -

Me: Nappy Nappy Nappy!
Her: Oi Oi Oi!

etc - getting louder and louder so she was so busy trying to be louder than me she forgot to run away.

And nappy rhymes -

UP with the bum,
DOWN with the nappy
DOWN with the bum,
UP with the nappy
SPREAD the nappy

RIP - SPLAT!
RIP - SPLAT! (doing the fasteners)

kept her interested for a while.

The special toy that only comes out for nappy occasions is good -

this also worked (with a different toy) for strapping her into the car seat (thank you, flashing musical turtle)