If you’ve ever tried to change a squirming, wailing, surprisingly strong baby while they twist like a professional contortionist, you’re not alone.
Diaper changes can feel like mini wrestling matches - minus the crowd support and with significantly more poop.
The good news?
A little distraction goes a long way. Here are five tried-and-true ways to keep your baby entertained (or at least still-ish) while you handle business.
5 diaper change distractions that work
1. Give them something new (or at least, new to them)
It doesn’t have to be fancy.
A clean wooden spoon, the TV remote with no batteries, your house keys - anything that's safe and not technically a toy seems to hold mysterious power over babies. Keep a small stash of “diaper time treasures” nearby that only come out during changes.
The novelty alone might buy you the two minutes you need to wipe, lotion, and fasten that fresh diaper.
2. Make it a full-blown performance
Yes, you're now a diaper-changing Broadway star.
Sing, dance, make ridiculous faces. Bonus points if you have a silly diaper song (or invent one on the fly). Babies love repetition, so once you’ve got a hit, prepare to perform it 6 times a day, every day, forever.
It's not embarrassing if it's just you and your baby, right? (And maybe your dog. And maybe your partner, filming from the hallway.)
3. Use your voice (but in a fun way)
Narrate what you’re doing like you're hosting a cooking show.
“And now we’re wiping the little bottom - so gently, so expertly! Look at that technique!” Use funny voices, whisper, squeak, whatever makes them laugh. You’ll both forget the diaper even needed changing. Well, almost.
4. Ceiling fans are magic
Is there a ceiling fan in your changing area? Turn it on.
Point dramatically and say, “Whoooooaaa, look at that!” It’s not revolutionary parenting, it’s just leveraging the power of spinning things.
And if you don’t have a ceiling fan? Try a mobile, or make your own with ribbons or high-contrast shapes. It's all about the mesmerization.
5. Keep diapering products gentle and comforting
When you’re using something that smells lovely, feels soothing, and doesn’t sting, the whole process just gets… easier.
A gentle product like La Petite Creme’s organic diaper lotion doubles as a cleanser and barrier in one step, so you don’t have to prolong the experience. And if baby’s feeling pampered rather than ambushed, you’re both more likely to make it through unscathed.
Petites pensées
No one wins every diaper change.
Some days, it’s a wipe-and-wrestle situation. Other days, you’ll feel like a total baby whisperer. Either way, distraction is a parent’s best friend—and so is a good sense of humor.