HELP!! 15 Month Old Keeps Taking off Diaper!!

Updated on August 05, 2008
R.B. asks from Sacramento, CA
37 answers

Hi there moms! I have a beautiful, healthy 15 month old that insists on constantly pulling down his diaper. We have tried duct tape (which was recommended online by a lot of moms and by our doctor) and it doesn't seem to work. The problem is is that at night - I am now changing his sheets/pj's at least once/twice night because he gets himself all wet. I have tried to cut down on liquids (right before he goes to bed) but he still seems to manage to pee all over himself. He has always been a great sleeper and now I think we are both getting exhausted. We just took him to the doctor (b/c he had a cold) and there is nothing 'physically' wrong with him (bladder infection, etc..) but the doctor said that this is 'just a phase' and more commonly seen in boys.
Any other suggestions from you mom?????? It's starting to drive this mom a little crazy! :(

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L.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hello
I have the best idea, actually it was just my mothers. Why don't you put a onsie on under his pajamas at night, that wasy he cant pull them off. I have 3 little girls, and all of them use to take off their diapers, and then I switched to pull ups, which they didnt take off. I hope this helps!!
I also want to say one more thing, after 3 daughters, I promise you that all of these things are just phases, they will have many of them, and sometimes when you are going nuts with something, it will just stop on its own and something new will happen, its just part of being a mommy and I have many memories of the "phase" things, that now make me smile.
I just honestly think he is really uncomfortable when he is wet, and he is smart, so he takes them off him self, its actually very cute.
Good Luck
L.
Mommy of 3 beautiful girls, ages 6, 3 and 10 months.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.D.

answers from Reno on

It sounds to me like he's only sleeping in a diaper. If that is the case, buy him some light one piece sleepers with feet(with buttons, preferably, they're harder to undo than a zipper). It's fun to undo a diaper and hear the sound that it makes, and get a reaction from Mommy! If he's wearing more, and having a hard time getting his jammies off, he'll eventually forget what he was trying to do and stop driving you crazy. Good luck! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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M.Z.

answers from Reno on

Both of my boys did that. I finally put them to bed in oensies or bought jammies where the top snaps to the bottoms. Eventually they stopped.

1 mom found this helpful

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C.B.

answers from San Diego on

Oh I soooooo feel your pain! I tried the duct tape too! The only thing that worked for me was to put onesie pajamas on her and then take a diaper pin and pin the zipper so she couldn't pull it down. Has to be a diaper pin though or they might figure out how to open it. That way, she couldn't get to the diaper at all. Otherwise, we were both up all night every night. After a couple of weeks of that she moved on to emptying the covers off the bed. This was easier in the winter than summer, but you should be able to find something to work, even if you have to sew them closed for the time being. Good luck!!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.S.

answers from San Diego on

Have you tried pj's that zip up? This would make it pretty hard if not impossible for my 15 month old... There are light cotton fabric footed pjs made in large sizes sold by Carter's and in Costco too. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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T.

answers from Las Vegas on

Rachelle,

Have you tried putting him in a onesie to sleep? My 23 month old likes to pull his diaper off too (night or day) so I dress him in things that make it more difficult to do and things where he doesn't "see" his diaper and hopefully out of sight, out of mind.

:-)T.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

Our 16 month old was doing the exact same thing, so we simply started putting him in the potty training diapers that don't have any tabs (they just slide on like underwear). They they're marked 2T-3T, the weight range is the same as the diapers he was wearing with tabs, yet he doesn't even try to take these off, or if he does (when they need changing, e.g.), they're too snug to come off without help. I learned this trick from my friend Brandy, who had the same problem with her son August, and it's worked for both of us! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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W.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My sweet baby boy is back in a onsie!! I put the onsie on and then a pair of shorts, that seems to do the trick, he gets the shorts off and feels satisfied. Good luck!! Congrats on the upcoming arrival too :)

1 mom found this helpful
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J.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

Put him in a onesie, preferfably one that closes in the back. e

1 mom found this helpful
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E.N.

answers from San Diego on

My first baby did the same thing. We tried putting a onesie on backwards. He got through that. So we pinned the zipper of his sleeper to the collar and he never got through that (we used the diaper safety pins and pinned it through the inside of his sleeper). I know it's pretty warm now, so my boys are definitely not in sleepers right now, but maybe this gives you some ideas that will work with what he is wearing to bed now.

And Congratulations on baby #2! Mine are 15 months apart so that is close to yours. Get ready for a wild ride! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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G.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi, Rachelle. I'm a 38 year old Costa Mesa M. of 4 and my youngest is 15 months. She does the same thing. Looks me right in the eye and slowly pulls the tabs on her diaper then runs when I come after her. It's NOT pretty.

The only thing that works for us is keeping her in clothing that she can't get into such as onesies and snug pants. It works for us.

Hope it helps.

G. Loya
www.ginaloya.com
Web Design for WAHMs and More!

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J.W.

answers from Reno on

I have found that the best way for a child not to take off their diaper is to put it on backwards. They can't reach the tabs.

J.

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C.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

Try zip up PJs and use a diaper pin (safe) to pin shut at the top so he can't get hands inside. Yes this is a common phase.

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G.A.

answers from San Diego on

Hi Rachel,

My daughter has to wear orthopedic shoes and braces to bed every night. We had problems with her untying the shoes and pulling them off until we started using a sleep sac. I know it's a little hot to use one right now but they do come in all cotton with no sleeves. If you can find a way for him to not undo the zipper this might work for you.

Good luck!

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J.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

Have you tried putting a little onesie t-shirt on him,the kind that fit snug and snap closed. Maybe this would prevent him from getting his diaper off. Also, you could layer a full one piece pajama over top, for a second layer he would have to get through :)! Some of my friends have found putting the diaper on backwards also helps.
Good Luck!

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R.L.

answers from Reno on

We had the same problem with our son... just be glad it is only pee so far, we had poop issues! We had to put our guy in footed jammies BACKWARDS. That way he couldn't unzip himself and pull the diaper off. It worked great for us. You can find light weight jammies for the warm weather, but it is much easier in the winter:)

Good luck

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H.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Cut the feet out of zip up footies and zip it up backward. If he figures that out you have a genius!!

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E.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Put him on a onsie type t-shirt that snaps in the seat.

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D.P.

answers from San Diego on

cut the feet out of the sleeper and put it on backwards. Onsie's on backwards helps too. Onsie's under the sleeper, though it might be a little hot for that.

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D.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi,
Boy oh boy do I remember those days. The worst escape artist of the lot was my youngest daughter and she was diabolical. Aside from the tips you've already received, the only other method that worked for me was to check her hourly for wetness and beat her to the punch. If I removed the wet/soiled diaper quickly enough, she never got the chance.

I also started potty training her straight away. Each of my kids had a different method of telling me, but invariably diaper removal was a neon sign flashing, "I'm ready!"

I made sure that every time I checked her, my visit contained the verbal reminder, "Tell Mommy when you pee and Mommy will help you." She did tell me more and more as time went on.

For nighttime (this is the painful part) I checked her half-hourly until she fell asleep. Before long I picked up her body's patterns. Once I knew WHEN to check, I only had to check once or twice a night.

I also made sure I could hear her very clearly during the night. The moment she started moving around I made a beeline to her crib. I can still remember leaping out of bed in the dark and making it to the crib before my addled brain had time to wake up!

The only other thing I can suggest is a 'naked-day.' During spring and summer, I found it FAR simpler to just let the little munchkin run around naked for the day. The potty chair followed her round the yard or room, thanks to the magic of mommy's paranoia. As soon as she'd start to pee, I'd grab the potty chair and slip it under her. She was potty trained (daytime) before the autumn arrived.

Good luck, Rachelle. :-)

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S.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

I found the only thing that will keep my toddler in a diaper is if he has clothes on over it. Maybe just but some pajama type shorts on him at night over the diaper. I haven't tried it, but I've heard of other moms inserting a "pee" pad in the diaper to help with absorbency at night. They look like menstrual pads but they are specifically for urine (for adults to use). It's worth a try. I have to keep shorts or pants on my son during the day too. If he runs around in his diaper, he will take it off.

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A.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

My guess is that your little one is ready to potty train...and it may be quick for you since he already is taking his diaper off for you :)

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C.N.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

Dear Rachelle,

Um hum, the doctor is right. Just downplay the drama, and let him be wet, cover him with warm dry blankets and maybe he will get the drift that he needs to keep his diaper on. Don't comment on it so much in his presence, just be calm, and sort of ignore it. Children do go through the taking off the clothes and diapers stage about now. He won't go to Harvard with his pants off or even to Kindergarten. The less importance you give it the better. Tell Dad that too, so he won't be putting pressure on you and the baby. O.K.? O.K.! and Amen, C. N.

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E.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

OK, here is what I would do - invest in something he can sleep in that he can't get to the diaper, like a one-piece outfit that he can't unsnap, etc. He doesn't have to sleep in PJ's, he can sleep in anything as long as he is comfy.

This will pass, especially if you can make it impossible for him to do it for a day or two, he'll forget about it.

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L.T.

answers from San Diego on

Try sleepers with zippers and safety pin the zipper in place at the top. If he gets through that....cut off the sleeper feet, (use socks to keep his feet warm) and put it on him backwards. Good luck!!

If it happens during the daytime, try overalls.

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E.W.

answers from San Diego on

One piece pajamas might help. Or, distract him from his diaper with something else. A new bedtime toy or, perhaps, put gloves or mittens on his hands to give him another clothes item to get out of.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Yes, I remember those days. Our son liked to run around without too. Try sitting him on the potty every time he takes off the diaper. Maybe try pull-ups. It seemed to work for us. Good luck

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C.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

try a 1 pc sleeper. if you have to put it on backwards-so the zipper/snaps are in the back. If all you can find is pink-who cares, he is SLEEPING in it. My kids have worn some funky get ups to bed. my now 7 yr old boy LOVED Dora, so we had pink jammies. better than too much pee.

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R.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have four boys myself and I tried the put the diaper on backwards thing and the pj's backwards but the truth is if they want out they find a way. If he's fifteen months you can start introducing pull ups he might like them. show him that he gets "big" boy undies. It may also help him start potty training. My oldest three are all less than 24 months apart and I naver had two in diapers at the same time.

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A.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

Get him pullups and put him in pajamas that zip up with a button that clips closed on the top.

Or you can teach him something he may think is cool or fun, sitting and peeing in the potty. He could be taking off his diaper because he has to pee.

He may actually think this part of potty training to be fun.

You can get pads for the bed from Target taht are for bed wetters and you can take him to the potty and sit him on it after you've gotten up in the middle of hte night to pee yourself.

Babe and I do that, and he's 2. I say "one...two...three...pee!" and he pees even if he's half asleep.

Ive had him waking up at night dry.

But because your babe is only 15 months, you may just want to change what pjs he sleeps in, put him on the potty in the middle of the night one time and put that pad down in the bed.

Good luck! :)

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P.L.

answers from Reno on

My granddaughter used to take off her diaper cause she liked to be naked and we used duct tape and put the diaper on backwards with the edges of the tape in the back where she couldn't grab it to pull off. We also used to have to put her sleepers on backwards so she couldn't take them off (zippers in the back). She is now 7 and STILL likes to be naked.

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R.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son use to do this & I started to double diaper him. This was theonly thing that worked.

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K.R.

answers from San Diego on

Did you try putting on a sna at the crotch outfit? It worked for me.

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D.M.

answers from Lawrence on

Hi Rachelle, LOL! my son used to do the samething. I have a couple of suggestions, the first one is if your child is leaking through his diaper try buying the overnight diapers by Huggies. They work great! My son used to wake up in the mornings and he would soak through his diaper and when I started buying those it was great! The second suggestion I have for you is you can buy vinyl pants to put over your son's diaper. Once we started putting them on my son he didn't take his diaper off anymore and it helps to if your son soaks through his diapers. We got ours at walmart and they cost about $5.00 for 6 of them. Gerber makes them. I hope this helps you! I know how frustrating it can be. God Bless you and your family!

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M.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

Just wanted to add a little to what some of the others have said - it is tougher being Summertime, but I cut off the feet of the sleeper zip-up pajamas and then put them on backwards. Maybe to keep him cooler you could also cut off the arms. It was hard for me to 'ruin' pjs like that, but it was absolutely worth it. After a month or so, with the temptation gone, my son had outgrown this phase.

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

you should try putting a clothe snap diaper over it. they are hard for little ones to get off. believe me my daughter tries. you don't actually have to clothe diaper, but if you put it over he won't be able to get it off that easily. duct tape seems crazy. anywho i have a daughter who loves to be naked and will take off any disposable diaper that she can but she cant wiggle out of the fuzzibunz

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L.M.

answers from San Diego on

This happened with our now 6 year old. I know how frustrating it is. We did the backward pj's at night but that was in the winter. In the summer it's harder because it's too hot to dress them in zipper pj's. You can try putting on his diaper backwards, using duct tape, and put him in one piece pj's (ie onesie or a one piece coverall outfit). Good Luck.

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