Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

How to change a toddler’s diaper when they won’t stop squirming

Sarah Prager
By

Toddler diapering isn’t for the faint of heart. If your toddler squirms and wiggles and even kicks and screams, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are some techniques to help you change a toddler’s diaper with less stress for both of you.

While it’s natural for toddlers not to want to lie still for even a minute, you also have a job to do and you have to be able to get it done without getting everything messy or wanting to pull your hair out. We’ve compiled five strategies for how to change a toddler’s diaper without the wiggles and struggles.

father changing diaper
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Toddler diapering

Here are five top tips for how to change a toddler’s diaper when they won’t stop squirming.

Related

Sing a song

Just like you redirect away from any other behavior you don’t want your toddler doing, distraction is the name of the game here, too. The Wheels on the Bus or the ABCs are good standbys. Also, make sure you add engaging facial expressions as you sing. Getting your toddler to pay attention to your face and your song instead of the diaper change is the important thing here, so be as silly as possible. This isn’t time for a lullaby; it’s the moment to ham it up! You can also establish a special diaper-changing song you sing every time that they sing with you.

Recommended Videos

Install a mobile

A toddler may be too advanced to be distracted by a dangling paper crane that cut it for an infant, but you do have some leveled-up options. You could hang a toy by tying a string around it from a hook on the ceiling so every time your toddler goes on the changing table it is there to play with. The advantage of doing this instead of handing your toddler a toy is that she can’t throw it on the ground, or, even worse, into the open diaper being changed. If you don’t want to hang something all the way from the ceiling, you could also fasten a toy to the wall. Choose a smooth plastic toy like a rattle you can clean and disinfect instead of something like a stuffed animal.

You could also install a light mobile that projects moving and changing multi-color images onto the ceiling or the wall next to your child, and plays music as well. Again, it’s all about distraction.

Check for irritation

Your toddler might be bored having to stay still for a minute, but he also might be trying to wiggle away because the wipes hurt. Take a closer look inside all of his skin creases for diaper rash and for older toddlers, ask if the diaper change hurts. You may want to use some cream if you stopped after babyhood and possibly look into using more gentle wipes.

Your toddler also might be showing you her readiness for potty training every time she fights against putting on a new diaper. Let her win the struggle and give her some diaper-free time at home and see how it goes. Some kids are ready at 18 months or even earlier to start the process.

Dad changing son's diaper
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Enforce clear boundaries

If your toddler won’t stop kicking, hitting, or struggling when you tell him to, you need to show that you mean stop when you say stop. Hold his feet down (gently) and say, “I won’t let you kick,” or “I said no kicking.” Keep repeating this every time, even if it makes changes take longer. You can choose to distract instead, but if you say “stop” once, you need to follow it up and be consistent through that change. A big part of parenting a toddler is repeating things like this over and over until your child isn’t a toddler anymore, so don’t worry too much if he doesn’t get it even after what seems like an endless amount of repetition.

Make it quick

Making sure that you are ready to go and move quickly will also help. Make sure you have everything you need already set up with the diaper open on the changing pad, the wipes open, and your toddler’s pants off before you get her on the table. Don’t linger even as you distract your child at the same time. Do what you need to do and let her get up before you re-dress her. The fewer steps needed, the better.

Just remember that like all parenting stages, this one is temporary. A couple of years from now, diaper changes will be a distant memory!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Sarah Prager
Sarah Prager
Contributor
Sarah is a writer and mom who lives in Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National…
What the location of your baby’s kick means and how it changes with each trimester
An expert talks about baby-kicking locations
Pregnant woman feeling her baby kick

There’s nothing quite like feeling your baby move. It's a reminder that there's a human growing and thriving inside you. As the pregnancy progresses, those tiny flutters you feel during the second trimester turn into harder kicks and more frequent movements as they grow bigger, often resulting in what feels like the baby kicking your bladder constantly.
In the later stages of pregnancy, it's not uncommon to not only feel but see the baby kicking or moving around as they grow. But for some women — particularly first-time moms — those movements can sometimes cause concerns. Pregnancy is full of questions and worries, and it’s easy to read into every little fetal movement, particularly as the due date draws near.
The location of your baby's kicks, how hard they're kicking, and how often your baby kicks is something most expectant people find themselves tracking to ensure their baby is healthy. Fortunately, the location of your baby’s kick isn’t generally a sign of concern. So, no, you shouldn’t worry if your baby is kicking low or if your baby is kicking your bladder. To help you decipher fetal movement and put your mind at ease, we spoke with Dr. Tamika Cross, a Texas-based OBGYN.

Common locations to feel a baby kick
It’s normal to feel your baby kick throughout your abdomen, especially early during the second trimester.
"It depends on the way the baby is laying," said Cross.
They do somersaults in your belly, particularly earlier in the pregnancy, when they have more room to move. As amazing as it is to feel your pregnant belly move, there are a couple of places many moms wish their little ones would avoid.
"One of the most uncomfortable places is higher up in the ribs area or when the baby is very low kicking down toward where the maternal bladder is, sometimes forcing out a little urine," continued Cross.
As frustrating as this can be, there's, fortunately, nothing to worry about if they’re sitting pretty in these spots.

Read more
Day care birthday party ideas: Celebrate your toddler’s big day in style
Where to start when putting together a birthday party at your kiddo's day care center
Little girls having cupcakes to celebrate a birthday at day care

Birthdays are such a big event for kids. When it's their birthday, they want to celebrate everywhere. School-aged kids love to share birthday treats with their classmates, sports teams, and the places they do after-school activities. Toddlers aren't any different. Birthdays are a major source of excitement for toddlers.

Toddlers want to spread that birthday excitement with everyone, especially their day care friends. It's not out of the question to have a birthday party at a day care center and there are certainly plenty of fun day care birthday party ideas. So, if your toddler wants to have a birthday celebration at day care, here's how.

Read more
Why do toddlers hit themselves? The reason may surprise you
Toddlers hitting themselves is on the list of strange behaviors a parent needs to know about
A little upset boy pulling at his hair.

Children tend to do some of the weirdest, unexplainable things. Toddlers especially know how to bring a bit of pizazz to the day. But it's a jarring experience for any parent the first time their sweet baby reaches up and hits them. It's even more confusing for parents to see their toddler turn their anger inward and hit themself in the head or on their body. Why toddlers hit themselves is one of those parenting things you don't get prepared for.

Children who have never been physically disciplined may still hit themselves, scratch themselves, or pound their head against walls or the floor when they're frustrated. Why do toddlers do this? Do they grow out of it? How do parents do to stop it? And when do you know whether you might need to seek professional guidance for your child? Let's dig into this part of toddlerdom most parents will have to deal with.

Read more