Easy trick to stop a toddler from taking their diaper off at nap time or night time.
If you’ve ever had a toddler who takes off their diaper after pooping at nap time or bedtime, you know how messy the results can be.
This simple solution is guaranteed to prevent toddlers from taking their diaper off when left alone in their crib at nap time. Bonus: No onesies or duct tape required.
No Duct Tape Necessary
You may have heard that wrapping duct tape around the waist of your child’s diaper a couple of times will prevent your toddler from getting at the tabs and removing their diaper, but who wants that hassle even time you put your child to bed?
I have an easier solution, and it’s pretty much fail-proof.
How do I stop my toddler from taking his diaper off?
What’s the easiest way to keep a child from being able to remove his or her diaper?
You’ll Need:
- one diapered toddler
- pair of footed pyjama sleepers
- scissors
- safety pin
Instructions:
- Cut the feet off a pair of footed pyjama sleepers
- Dress the child BACKWARDS in the sleeper
- Fasten the zipper to the top of the sleeper at the back of your child’s neck with a safety pin.
Chances are your toddler will not be able to get out of the backward jammies no matter how hard she tries.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not implying you should leave your child trapped in a messy diaper if they DO poop. This is a solution for the child who habitually poops the moment he’s left alone in the crib and then removes his diaper.
As a parent, you know your child’s habits, and whether or not this is a chronic issue at your house. If it is, you’ll need to check on your child after a short period of time to see if their diaper needs changing.
Chances are, if your child was removing their poopy diaper, it’s because they don’t like to be in a soiled diaper, and once they realized they’re not able to remove their diaper anymore, they’ll stop saving their poop until nap time.
Your child may be ready to begin toilet training
Note: a child who strongly dislikes being in a soiled diaper may be ready to toilet train.
Try putting your child on the potty before naptime every day to help create a new habit for your child and to help his or her bowels develop a routine. In the beginning, your child may need a few minutes to relax before doing his business. After all, that’s what’s been happening in the crib. Give your child a book to look at, and stay close by. Depending on the age of your child, this strategy may or may not work for you, but it’s certainly worth a try.
If your child is pooping at naptime because they refuse to poop on the toilet, we have 10 solutions for that common challenge as well.
More Solutions to Common Parenting Challenges:
- What To Do When Your Baby Won’t Take A Bottle
- How To Wean A Toddler Off the Soother
- What To Do When Your Child Hates the Bath
- Toddler Biting – How To Stop It
- What To Do When Your Child Won’t Poop on the Potty
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
emma
Brilliant simple but brilliant! Will be telling parents at school and my daughter for our grandson! Wish I’d read this when my teens were little! Thankyou!! X
Tammy
I did this 20 years ago with one of my sons who just liked to be naked even in the winter!
pegges
oh you’re a genius! … simple but makes sense! thanks for the tipp!
Vandana
Great tip 🙂
Robin Tobin
I have found putting on the diaper backwards helps with that nap time issue too. They can’t get to the diaper tabs.
Karyn
Ha! I am laughing at this because we have been struggling this week with our little guy. He changes his clothes & strips down… We tried this one night & it does work!
Ashley
Hahahaha…we used to do this with my oldest when she was around 18 months because she constantly took all her clothes off. Only worked about a week before she found a way out of it too! Little Houdini child! I am lucky I haven’t had to use this with any of my others!
happyhooligans
It’s the safety pin holding the zipper to the fabric that seems to do the trick, Ashley.
Tavia
My Houdini even undid the safety pin that we used AND put duct tape around to keep her from undoing. Backward jammies for the win!
Yanisha Vazquez
Sounds like my twins hehe they keep stripping hopefully this works
Jackie Currie
I hope so too, Yanisha! Let us know!
anna
Didn’t work with the twins…..they helped each other out of the nannies! LOL
emma
^^^ What she said. Twins or any multiples are another story. They help each other. We’ve tried everything (inside out and backwards, my sleeper keeper, onesie over pjs, onesie over pjs with cloth diaper over and backwards, etc) and after a few days they get out again, and not just take the diaper off, but spread poo EVERYWHERE!!! So now we found this had worked so far: we have to put the Pjs on inside out, and backwards, and cut a small hole on each side of zipper and tie paracord together in a bow to keep it together. I have little houdinis!
happyhooligans
Wow! That is quite the routine, Emma! Inside out is brilliant!
Mindy
I’m gramma 66yrs next week and I have guardianship over 17 months old grandson Both parents are out of the picture…drugs!. Sweet baby, love him so much but he is working on my last nerve: with the diaper off poop thing. Today as I found him for the second time stripped diaper. He actually came in to the family room butt naked and sat himself down for time out.!!!
Dineen Wiemels
My kids put on zip up sleepers or pj’s with tops and bottoms and then put a onesie over it all on their little ones. It worked great. If you forgot to Poop Proof them you were in deep sh-doodoo!
Lisa Gallaher
Any one piece, onesie, or sleeper has been working for my daughter. Her sleepers are too hot, but I managed to find some one piece sunsuits and onesies that are working. I’m amazed how determined the other children mentioned are! I hope I don’t have to resort to some of these measures!
🙂 🙂
Karon Nelson Roberts
For some reason, I didn’t have a problem with poop-poop diapers at nap or bedtime. BUT I did have a problem with my middle child taking her diaper off. At home, I used cloth diapers, but used Huggies when we went shopping/church/pay bills/ anytime we was away from home. I guess she didn’t like the way the disposable diapers felt…SO I bought plastic panties and she wore cloth diapers all the time. Never had a problem after that….
Jill
Turn feetie jammies inside out and zip them up! Our daughter was tricky, but couldn’t get that undone!
happyhooligans
Ohhhh! That is just brilliant, Jill!
Barb
I’ve done this with 2 kiddos and it works very well. Upsize the pjs one size & twist the leg around. It won’t bother them & you can keep them in footies. For summer, I use the thinner pjs and cut them into shorts & short sleeves. No sewing necessary, the thin knit won’t unravel.
Amy
I have had luck with backward pj’s with a t shirt or sweatshirt over them. The idea of him getting the safety pin out scared me and this was our solution,
Mindy
Definitely going to try this idea. Ty
Shanna R.
If you come up with a solution for twins let me know. I turn them inside out and zip them up my twin b unfastens twin a’s and of course twin b assists twin A. Then we get clean up disasters at least 2-3 times a week. Im a very frustrated mom right now.
Cate
Try Gaffa (Duck Tape) around the nappy! Works a treat
Janice
We have a newly adoopted 13 year old daughter who has accidents,so we use the size 8 pampers on her most of the time,but when she takes a nap,i put her into cloth diapers and rubberpants,then after she wakes up she is changed and a pampers is put back on her,then at bed time we put her in the cloth diapers and rubberpants.this system works well for her.
Amanda Mckiever
Great suggestion! I tried this with my 4 year old. She has several developmental delays and is not potty trained yet. I put her sleeper on backwards and somehow she was able to bite and pull at the waist part and ripped a hole and still made a mess with her diaper! I have not been able to find anything that works with her. She keeps me busy!! Lol
recent
Avoid giving your child a reaction. If you scold your child or act embarrassed when they take their diaper off, they’re more likely to do it again in the future. They think it’s hilarious to get a reaction from you! Try to curb your reaction, and act in a calm manner.
Kristy
I did this with my first son and it worked. Unfortunately, not with my second son…. He’s far more cunning. He worked out he can pull his arm into the onesie, take the nappy off and then just pull it out the bottom (if it had open feet). Pretty much anything you can think of, I’ve tried. it works for a short amount of time, but he always works out how to get around it.
Jackie Currie
Oh my goodness! What a smarty!
Dominique
For being a first time dad I hope this works doesent help when my baby girl is autistic takes longer to teach her
Cassie
My toddler just pulls the diaper out of the bottom of the onesie through the foot cutout. So yeah… no go for us.
KAITLYN ANNE
Summer vacation started and my three little sisters have started or should say regressed to the point that when it is time to do #2 they do it on theirself and don’t even think about it. I am dumbfounded about it. I try my best to explain about U.I. infections and it goes in one ear and out the other. I let them do as they want, Mom ain’t here anymore she died.Since then, I HAVE BEEN RAISINING THEM. We have no living relatives and I am their stand-in Mom.
Zachery Griffin Sr
Don’t know if everyone here will be able to gain this great idea I just thought of after reading some comments. With my wife. We are about to try traing on the seat with our two little still in diapers. Because we are dealing with the same issue at hand. Anyway. Get some grammont pliers with hole rivet’s. Punch one at top by the zipper. Then use a smaller heavy duty key ️ ring and run it through the punched hole and zipper.