Australian Parents Should Ask For Consent Before Changing Nappies, Says Childcare Chain

A childcare chain has suggested parents in Australia should ask for consent before they change their baby's nappy.

The task can be a messy and smelly process and it's one that most mums and dads try to get done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

However, Only About Children believes parents should take a second to see whether their little one is happy with them changing their nappy and cleaning them up.

The chain, which operates more than 75 early learning centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, asked: "If you were a baby, how would you like to have your nappy changed?

"The most significant thing about a nappy change is not the new nappy. It's the good feelings shared between baby and parent. It's the relationship."

Their advice is meant to stimulate a 'respectful' nappy change process that empowers the baby. Only About Children has also advised parents not to say things like 'stop crying' and 'don't hit others', or wash their face without warning.

Parents are told to wait until the baby has stopped playing to change their nappy because newborns usually 'don't like to be interrupted'.

"Ask for your baby's help, talk them through what you are doing and encourage the use of senses," a recent newsletter stated.

"When toddlers become mobile, nappy changing may look quite different. Continue to ask for co-operation but understand that your toddler may wish to now stand for their nappy change.

"Also to encourage their independence, you may ask him to take off his own nappy or wipe himself."

Even though babies are usually non-verbal, this new-age approach is designed to give them a voice and an opinion in what happens to them.

National education manager Angela Ngavaine has told the Herald how important it is to make sure the young one feels like they are their own person.

"We involve them in the process and we make eye contact and say, 'are you ready for a nappy change'?" Ms Ngavaine said. "Some may look away or shake their head and so we say, 'I can see you're not ready, how about I change Jack and then come back to you'?"

She said instead of yelling at the baby to stop crying or hitting others, you're meant to stay with them and calmly explain the reasons why you need them to cease their behaviour.

Ms Ngavaine added: "Every child, no matter their age, are competent learners."

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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