By: Amy Heinz
There are certain things about having a baby that are breathtaking. And others that take your breath away. And others yet that make you wish you could hold your breath for a really, really long time. Those last ones, that’s what this post is about. And it turns out those diapers don’t change themselves, so you may as well have a bit of fun along the way. Right? Right.
A, B, Cs and 1, 2, 3s
This is a great time to teach Baby the basics. You’ll be surprised how quickly he "sings" along or joins in the counting. Once Baby is actually learning to talk and counts along, break the numbers up into digestible groups. Start with 1-3, then 1-5, then 1-10 … depending on when you potty train Baby, he may just get a good head start on counting.
Become a Songwriter
Babies love music and who doesn’t love to laugh. Give some childhood classics your own spin to keep you both entertained. For instance, Five Little Monkeys can become:
5 clean diapers sitting on the shelf,
that little thing won’t change itself.
Mama’s gonna help now, because she cares.
Keep those hands out, don’t you dare.
Or turn Twinkle, Twinkle into:
Stinky, stinky, little girl,
Lucky this didn’t make me hurl.
Well, something like that.
Teach Body Basics
Those little ones are aware that you’re messing with their body, so take advantage of the time to teach ’em a thing or two. As you lay Baby down, point to a body part, then say what it is. Start with the basics (you can even sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes). You can also take Baby’s hand and help her tap along. Or say, "I love your…toes! I love your…belly!" and follow it up with a kiss or raspberry. Just the anticipation of this one gets giggles going.
Add Some Ceiling Bling
Put some cool decorations on the ceiling above the changing table. Or install a hook and hang a mobile type toy from above. That way (you can only hope) Baby will be grabbing for the toy instead of that dirty diaper.