Diaper Changing Dilemma

I am sure that some of my fellow parents can commiserate with me. It started out as an ordinary diaper change. I took the giggling child and placed her down upon the changing table.

The very same table that once engulfed her tiny body and now seems tiny. I used to pretend with her that she was an airplane that needed to land on an aircraft carrier. That worked really well when the difference in size between her and the table more closely resembled that between plane and aircraft carrier.

We must be feeding her well because the difference between them is minor. Another inch or so and she’ll have to fold her legs in order to fit. Of course that presumes that the dear girl decided to cooperate and that is a bet that the oddsmakers in Vegas would take in a heartbeat.

10 to 1 says that as soon as I am fully engulfed in the changing procedure she’ll decide move around. It won’t be basic squirming. No this will be a situation in which entire body will shake and shimmy like a wet dog trying to dry itself off.

And like the flecks of water that are flung off of the dog I’ll be concerned about errant specks of toddler poop flying through the air. Just what I need, my own homegrown Pearl Harbor. But I am a resourceful and experienced father so I have my own ritual.

The talking doll usually does a good job of distracting my princess long enough to wipe her cute butt clean and then slap that diaper on. The problem is that once children go vertical they really have limited interest in being placed in a horizontal position.

In respect to my own children that only happens if they are sleeping, otherwise being asked to maintain a horizontal posture is akin to torture. You should hear the shrieks. That is why the talking doll is so important.

So there we were, father, daughter, talking doll and changing table. Father and daughter did the distraction dance in which I gathered all of the necessary tools for a successful diaper changing operation.

I cannot stress how important the diaper distraction dance is. If the little girl realizes why she is being taken in the other room she’ll try and flee. There are too many toys to play with, too many other things that interest her more than being changed.

Dad dances and sings and down she goes on the changing table. So far it is flawlessly executed operation. Daughter is momentarily distracted and we are fully engulfed in diaper changing duty when disaster strikes.

The last wipe is in my hand and this clearly calls for more than one. AWWWWWWWWWWWW! (you can fill in the second word, or if you are like me the third, fourth and fifth).

I was certain that there was more than one wipe but I was wrong. Red alert, Red alert. Danger Will Robinson! Danger Will Robinson!

Back in my salad days when I was a new and inexperienced dad I might have gone into full panic mode as this had potential to be quite messy. But now, I am an old hand at this so I grabbed the clean diaper and used it to finish cleaning the remaining mess.

It only took a moment more to grab a new clean diaper and finish the process. Disaster was averted, but it was close, too close.

I’d write more but the star of the story needs my attention. It is time to play. See you later.

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9 Comments

  1. Clint June 26, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    Care to share a video of your diaper distraction dance, Jack ? hehe just kidding, bit its really effective. As a dad on my own, im not good at it yet, but i will be taking lessong for the diaper dance or go for the easier route which is buy a talking doll… first time i try to change diaper i was fearful. and to my surprise i was frightened i saw a black poop on the diaper. i was like is this kid a squid or something.. so i called the mom, assked her what is this black poop? Mom has no idea. so i pick up my buddy and find out here that its not even a good thing .. later mom said.. i find her lately with something blackish.. i was like ohhh my thank you.. i thought 100+ bill is gonna travel from my pocket again..

  2. Rebecca May 30, 2006 at 12:19 am

    I’ve fully mastered changing her while she’s standing and I’m holding her with one hand and doing the rest with the other hand!

  3. Gavriel May 29, 2006 at 6:20 am

    You do realize why we only shake with the right hand, don’t you?

    (I’m only keeeeeding)

  4. Jack's Shack May 29, 2006 at 4:51 am

    Randi,

    I imagine that I will miss some of this.

    Ainnw,

    You might be right.

    Jack,

    Baths can be a lot of fun. I kind of enjoy that time.

    Rebecca,

    I think that I read them.

    Mirty,

    I’d be happy to send you a used diaper so that you don’t feel so left out. 😉

  5. Mirty May 29, 2006 at 1:03 am

    So, so glad I acquired my children when they were well past the diaper stage.

  6. Rebecca May 29, 2006 at 12:17 am

    sounds very familiar! I wrote a few posts about the exact same thing!!

  7. Jack May 29, 2006 at 12:08 am

    I used to get all the stinky ones. I didn’t mind. My wife would gag if she had to do those and she did most of the others.

    Also my job was the baths which were always fun and creative.

    One thing I’ll always remember was the day we did the potty training. 12 hours straight in one day with a doll that could do the deed and mom even demonstrated several times. After that as long as you asked often enough she never needed a diaper again.

  8. Bagel Blogger May 28, 2006 at 5:42 pm

    ahhh the Joy of Children,
    Forget the smell of fresh food in the morning, there’s always the smell of the change table.

    Parents rule No 1:
    No matter how bad the house smells from that changed diaper, to a visitor it smells 100 times worse.

    I have three little girls, and I know what you mean, but at least I haven’t had the ‘little boy’ problem yet.

    My wife cracks up when she sees me don the ‘gas mask’ (any suitable scarf, tea towel)

    I love the darlings but…

    Mum might just love them more when its nappy time.

    regards Aaron

  9. cruisin-mom May 28, 2006 at 5:32 pm

    Okay, Jack, perhpas a little more than I wanted to know, but I have to say, I miss the intimacy of those diaper changing moments. (all that creative distraction, dancing, singing, story telling, that becomes a part of the changing ritual)

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