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Original poster

MIL obsessed with nappy free time

110 replies

MangoLatte87 · 13/09/2025 11:19

My MIL is obsessed with having DC (9.5 months) “nappy free”. I just don’t get it. We don't have any issues with nappy rash etc., she just believe children want to be nappy free and that DC “asks” for it. I find it unnecessary and pointlessly messy. Originally I didn’t have an issue with it, but her insistence on it has started to make me uncomfortable. Do other people habitually have small babies be nappy free? Am I missing something?

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WimbyAce · 13/09/2025 13:44

No we never did this. No issues with nappy rash and my children certainly never "asked" for nappy free time.

Surroundedbyfools · 13/09/2025 13:44

My 2 are nearly 2 and 4 and never had any bother with nappy rash and I never did any nappy free time !! Like I don’t have enough to do but let them freely pee and poo on floors and furniture

Original poster
MangoLatte87 · 13/09/2025 13:46

Sugargliderwombat · 13/09/2025 13:24

I get where you're coming from OP. My MIL was obsessed with the idea of coming around specifically to do the bath time. The more she pushed the more uncomfortable I felt. It just felt like.... Why? Why do they have to be naked?

My OH insisted some nonsense about purity and being reminded of when they were younger but no other grandparent was obsessed with seeing them naked so I just kept politely declining.

Yes, this! 100% this. MIL wants to help with bath time always and made a huge thing about wanting to “see him in the nuddy” when he was first born. Not just in a nappy - fully naked. My mother wouldn’t dream of any of this. I just find MIL weirdly obsessed with DC’s nudity.

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Original poster
MangoLatte87 · 13/09/2025 13:48

Limehawkmoth · 13/09/2025 13:16

Think your maths is worng. If MIL has new grandchildren pre potty trained, that’d put her 10-15 years plus or minus the time I was raising my kids.
no one had used reusable nappies for years unless they were very niche, bear in mind global warming wasn’t a thing then. And disposable nappies were no cheaper or expensive than they are now.

MIL obviously did it for her children back 30-40 years ago, and just feels it is a good thing. It seems a mixed lot on this response. Certainly outside in summer in garden nappies were off. But inside no, but then I had 2 DS and boys as we all know small males tend to pee like an uncontrolled hose pipe if penis left unrestrained. 😱🤣🤣🤣🤣. Yep, I’ve had direct shot to face on more than one occasion when I didn’t “hold and cover” quick enough during nappy removal…must be change in temperature 🤷‍♀️

Maybe thats the thing…imhe girls would make less damage nappy free , most would end up on floor whereas boys. Jeez, you’d be washing walls, other kids, dogs and god knows what 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤷‍♀️

did Mil of Op just raise girls?

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MIL is 63. She exclusively raised boys.

OP posts:
Sprogonthetyne · 13/09/2025 13:54

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 13/09/2025 13:00

Heavens, the MIL can't be older than 60. Probably younger.

I'm 69 and we had fair priced disposable nappies back in the 1980s! Boots ones weren't too expensive.

It was my own mother's generation who had to contend with cloth nappies, so that would be this OP's grandmother or her husband's grandmother.

Edited
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My mother used Terry cloth nappies on my sister and I, which were then used on dolls throughout my childhood (that's how I know we has them). We were babies in the 80's, which is entirely possible age wise for the OP's DH & siblings.

Aparently disposables were avaliable, and used when we were on holiday, but were considered to expensive to use everyday (obviously this view will vary depending on family finances).

Macaroni46 · 13/09/2025 13:59

I can’t see what the big issue is. I did nappy free time with mine as I felt it was beneficial for their bums to get a good airing!

Original poster
MangoLatte87 · 13/09/2025 14:00

EBoo80 · 13/09/2025 13:37

Your discomfort seems like a bit of an over reaction TBH, and oddly judgmental. I don’t think it matters very much either way, if it’s in the privacy of your home and she’s cleaning up?

She has only spent circa 3 weeks with DC since he’s been born, spread out over 9.5 months. I just find it unnecessary that he’s naked; I don’t see the purpose. It just seems to indulge something she wants, rather than to be for DC’s benefit.

OP posts:
Coldnightsapproachingwhereismyduvet · 13/09/2025 14:00

Relative or not pushing to see dc naked is fucking weird.

Dreamhigh · 13/09/2025 14:20

No we didn't do this with any of mine. My boys would pee on us if we took to long to change them.
Nappy free time was in the bath.

Backtoschooltime · 13/09/2025 14:47

Never did it

567OverwhelmedFTM · 13/09/2025 14:49

My DS LOVES being nappy free.

He first started crawling when he was nappy free at 6.5 months so I guess the freedom helped his movement.

He's 13 months and we've been doing it since he was a newborn and now we're slowly potty training him! Yes, we've had a few accidents but he's also very aware of poos and wees now which is a good thing. He's done 80% of his poos on the potty this week.

He is VERY prone to nappy rash though, he has incredibly sensitive skin. We came home from hospital with him with a nappy rash already. There isn't a diaper cream out there that i haven't tried.

So I guess if we had no issues maybe we wouldn't have been tempted to try.

defrazzled · 13/09/2025 15:08

We had nappy free time for at least a few hours a day and both were potty trained before they were 2. I cannot fathom how many 3-4 year olds I see in nappies these days, the cost alone is madness.

OtterMummy2024 · 13/09/2025 15:14

ERIC the children's bowel health charity recommend it :)

Sugargliderwombat · 13/09/2025 15:15

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 13/09/2025 13:40

Obsessed about seeing them naked😂
Could if be that bath times with a baby are lovely and granny wants to be there.
What nefarious intentions do you think granny has in mind?

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Haha I know it's such a totally innocent thing, lots of people were with us at bathtime and helped or were babysitting him and gave him a bath but I empathise with OP that when someone because weirdly fixated on it it is a bit uncomfortable 🤣.

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 13/09/2025 15:18

It's none of her business how you raise your kids. Stop talking to her about it. If she is babysitting and wants to do it fine( if f you are comfortable( but nappy back on when he's coming home and what you do in your house is none of her beeswax. She will only know if you or DH talk about it so stop giving her info. If she asks that's weird imo so deflect or say 'I don't want to get into that'.

TinyTeachr · 13/09/2025 15:33

At 9.5 months you're into mobile with no bladder control territory.... seems like the worst time for it unless there's nappy rash!

It's completely a choice. But it should be YOUR choice. Just say no, that's not what we want to do.

BarnabyJude · 13/09/2025 15:38

Yes! We did it with our boys before they were mobile - it was great to see them happily kick their little legs on a changing mat, free from the confines of a nappy.
we used to call it ‘bum time’ 😂

SouthLondonMum22 · 13/09/2025 15:40

defrazzled · 13/09/2025 15:08

We had nappy free time for at least a few hours a day and both were potty trained before they were 2. I cannot fathom how many 3-4 year olds I see in nappies these days, the cost alone is madness.

Mine was potty trained before 2 as well but no nappy free time until potty training.

Bitzee · 13/09/2025 15:55

SouthLondonMum22 · 13/09/2025 15:40

Mine was potty trained before 2 as well but no nappy free time until potty training.

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Same

Maddy70 · 13/09/2025 15:57

It comes from when it was recommended to have nappy free time to let the skin breathe. It is only in very recent years that nappies have been so absorbent nappy rash was a real problem

NameChange23456790 · 13/09/2025 16:00

Yes babies love it!! Mine used to get lots. Actually made potty training easier they soon became aware of the need to poo early on from the age of 13 months ish both could toddle off to a potty for a poo. Or happy to sit on potty before a bath (that’s usually when I did the nappy free time).

LittlePineapple · 13/09/2025 16:15

I think it's really beneficial for them to have nappy free time. We used to do it a lot - especially in the garden in summer.

Its also really useful when Potty Training as they get more used to and aware of their bodies.

I think it's a completely normal thing. But the way things worked I was at home before my children started school so had the time and spent a lot of time with other people who had kids at home for obvious reasons! None of us would find it weird.

I wonder if families where kids are in nursery all day during the week would find it more weird as they're more used to doing bath/bed Monday to Friday. And also we've probably as a society changed a lot over the generations. In closer knit families /communities there's so much more shared knowledge maybe? (I moved from London to a small area where everyone knew everyone and it was so different!)

Also bath time is lovely. I have such fond memories of my kids if love to do bathtime with my grandkids if I have them! I guess grandparemts often have such fond memories of their own kids being small that they want to share/experience with their grandkids maybe.

Ilovemychocolate · 13/09/2025 16:28

Your baby, your rules.

HairyToity · 13/09/2025 16:31

I did it with, they loved it.

namechanged221 · 13/09/2025 16:37

I find it odd she would insist on something for your dc, you're the mum so you decide on these issues, not her??

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