A childcare brand has issued guidance for parents on how to ‘respectfully’ change a nappy in order to give toddlers more of a say.
Early education provider Only About Children posted an update to its website explaining how nappy changes can be “important opportunities for learning and relationship building”.
Their advise said toddlers should not be interrupted while playing in order to have their nappy changed and instead, parents should wait for a gap in their play.
They said parents should ensure nappy changing has a “respectful start” and that timing a nappy change for when a child wants it is important.
The guidance said: “Toddlers don’t like to be interrupted when they are playing. Wait for a gap in their playing before starting the nappy changing process,” the article says.
“You may wish to give your toddler some autonomy and ask, ‘Would you like to walk to the change table or should I carry you?’”
It also covered guidance for babies, saying: “If you were a baby, how would you like to have your nappy changed?”
It advises parents to do nappy changes with babies “slowly” and with “gentle hands”, “full attention” and with a “warm, nurturing back and forth, so you can discover how good it feels to relate to one another”.
Angela Ngavaine, Only About Children’s national education manager told the Herald Sun nappy changes were still performed at its 70 centres even if babies or toddlers didn’t appear to show consent.
She said the centres used an approach based on the Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) method, when it came to asking a child before if they can be hugged or wiping their faces.