Diaper change question

[candycat]

So, my 2.5 year old DD has never been in a daycare setting before; she's always been home with me. Consequently, I'm always the one to do her diapers - my mom did them for the one week she babysat them earlier in the summer. Otherwise, no one else has ever changed her diaper that I can think of.

So anyway, I've recently had to find a drop-in daycare type of place. They go maybe once every other week for about 2 hours while I have doctor's appointments or that sort of thing. They're not there long at ALL.

She loves going but this morning before drop-off she was fretting that she didn't like it that the "lady" changed her diaper. So when I dropped her off today I did leave an extra diaper for her in the cubby but told them that unless she messed her diaper, to not bother with it if it was only pee. (She's in sposies which she only wears in the car and at night.) She was there for only about two hours and I put a fresh one on her before going in after she peed on the potty, so I doubt it was super soaked or anything.

Anyway today I pick her up and they'd just changed her, even though she only had a pee diaper. She told me (she's very verbal) that she said no to them, that mommy would do it, and she cried - but the lady did it anyway.

I'm not exactly ANGRY because I figure daycares have policies of having to change kids, but I feel kind of bad for DD anyway. She was really upset about it when I picked her up. She had fun otherwise, it was just the dipe issue.

Is it unrealistic of me to ask them to not change the diaper unless she makes a #2? I feel bad that she said no to them and they did it anyway, but I mean... rules are rules and stuff. But I still feel bad for her.

[Ambishop19]

I think that's reasonable if she isn't there for very long. I worked at a daycare after high school and I don't remember anything about having to immediately change wet diapers.

[JudiAU]

Most daycares/ preschools have to follow state laws about the frequency of diaper changes so they may not have a choice. Often there is one or more people who do the changing. I do think that it would be helpful for you to help her make that transition though, because at some point she'll probably need one changed and just be miserable. Why not talk about it in advance, show her where diapers are kept and changed, meet the people who do it, talk about how it might be different (standing up, with gloves on), etc.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by candycat

I put a fresh one on her before going in after she peed on the potty, so I doubt it was super soaked or anything.

Anyway today I pick her up and they'd just changed her, even though she only had a pee diaper.

Do they have a potty available for the kids? Can your dd manage to pull her pants and diaper down and back up alone? Because I would expect she'd only need to go one time during a two hour period (if at all) and they could just ask if she needs the potty at a time you suggest when you drop her off. No need for a change at all.

OTOH, are you sure she even had a pee diaper? I thought some daycares change every 2 hours whether there's need or not. E.g. even if a kid just had a poop diaper changed 30 minutes prior, they'll still get a new diaper in the next changing cycle.

[candycat]

Thank you for the replies!

I think I'll just ask them next time what their diaper policy is. If they have to change it, then I'll just basically tell DD that they will do it anyway and try to get her to be more comfortable with it. If there's some leeway I'll write on her sposie to please not change it unless it's a poopy one. I saw them write notes on her diaper when I picked it up (when they changed it) so I guess if there's more than one person who does dipes they wouldn't forget. But, if it's state law or whatever... I wouldn't rock the boat, it's not THAT important of an issue to me. And I don't want to be the weirdo mom either.

[JMJ]

Usually, they have to change them every 2 hours when wet and immediately when poopy. You said that you were gone about 2 hours. If you were just a bit over 2 hours, it sounds like they gave you all the leeway they could.

[tzs]

Originally Posted by JMJ

Usually, they have to change them every 2 hours when wet and immediately when poopy. You said that you were gone about 2 hours. If you were just a bit over 2 hours, it sounds like they gave you all the leeway they could.

yep this
i've heard of requests from parents that although they might be fine with at home....we couldn't pull off...the latest was a parent who wanted their 3-4 yo to sit in pishy underwear for a while so she could feel it. you just can't have kids sitting around in pish if you're running a daycare.

[candycat]

Ick!

Well, no, I didn't want DD to be sitting in a loaded diaper. That wasn't my intention. If it was, oh I don't know, actively bulging or something that's different. Vs. just a bit here. It's a sposie and while I don't relish the idea of her sitting in one, period, they do a fairly good job of keeping bottoms dry. I mean she sleeps in one at night and it's not like I wake up to check on her diaper. Cloth diapers, yeah, she'd get a rash from them if not changed extremely promptly. (I mean like almost on contact.)