Dear Disposable Diaper Designers

[pantryslut]

Dear Disposable Diaper Designers,

I remember when you launched your exciting new innovation in diaper technology, the resealable tab. Yes, this design revolution happened within my lifetime, and I remember life before these new, exciting, versatile adhesives. It certainly seemed like a good idea at the time, didn't it? So clever! Open, shut, open, shut, ad infinitum. Plus, no sticking to sensitive baby skin -- very nice.

I seem to remember that this was marketed as a way to conserve diapers -- no more ripping open a diaper only to discover it pristine and unsoiled, but having to throw it away anyway. Somehow, I bet that diaper prices went up concurrent with this new 'frugal' innovation, but that's beside the point.

So what is the point? Simple. My daughter, who is not even fourteen months old at the time of this writing, has recently developed a fascination with taking off her own clothes. I understand that this is a normal developmental stage, and that she is not at all precocious in this regard. (She also enjoys putting on various items of clothing, including and especially hats and scarves, but again, this is beside the point.)

You may guess where this is going, yes? My daughter has figured out how to undo the fancy-schmancy resealable tabs on her diapers.

I understand, too, that switching to cloth diapers may not be an improvement, as many diaper covers are held together with velcro. And you may have guessed that my daughter has already mastered that material.

I may have to resort to duct tape. Possibly in bulk -- it's looking to have many practical applications for impending toddlerhood.

Dreaming of archaic technology including diaper pins and shoelaces,


Lori S.

Comments

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

In olden days, that is to say, 1972, disposable diapers started being made with adhesive tapes. Not resealable tapes. Just tapes. My mother had been using safety pins with disposable diapers for more than 3 years, with 2 children, and countless diapers. She recognized that the tapes were a great advance, with no risk of sticking the baby with the pin, no problems finding the pin when you needed it.

But she had a terrible time with the tapes. She would get one side stuck, and if it was too tight (because it seemed like my little brother had grown overnight), she couldn't just adjust it the way she did with pins. Sometimes my brother batted at the diaper when she was trying to line it up, and got it stuck in the wrong place. It was infuriating.

So she went back to using safety pins. Just because the diapers come with tapes doesn't require you to use them. (Your hand goes between the diaper and the baby when you're fastening the pin.)

[mattblakk.livejournal.com]

Is she too small for the smallest size of pull-ups? They have some of those in the night time version that didn't have velcro back when Mr. B was wearing them.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I think she's still too small, but if this keeps up I will look into it.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

It's actually really hard to find old-fashioned diaper pins.

I forgot, though, that the real reason for resealable tape was the adjustment factor. I used to work in day care and have developed an assembly-line-like efficiency when it comes to changing diapers, so it never even occurred to me.

[maevele.livejournal.com]

i was gonna suggest duct tape, just as I read you were considering it. it works, but eventually you have to loop it all the way around them because they work out how to peel the tape, too.

eventually you give up and have naked kids. at least that is what i did

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I am hoping that she also potty trains early. I have a suspicion she might; fingers crossed.

[rightkindofme.livejournal.com]

I switched my cloth diapers to entirely snaps because the velcro is a nightmare. Forget it. It doesn't stay on for five minutes.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Actually, two comments.

1) Just be glad you don't live in winter. My brother (sitting about 15 feet from me right now and 54 years old) used to take off all his clothes, get out of the house, and go naked in the snow before he was two. Fortunately, neighbors would scoop him up and return him.

2) What prevents you (us?) from using old-fashioned diaper pins on disposable diapers?

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

And someone else said 2) before I did.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I like the phrase "live in winter." Just as an aside.

[jactitation.livejournal.com]

Or, at least, Snappis.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Hm. Now there's a thought...

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

The "Snappis for Toddlers" are just designed for bigger diapers. They are still not designed to outwit a coordinated child. "WARNING: Do NOT use a Snappi® fastener on toddlers who have the ability to undo their cover and take off their diaper and/or clothes."

[jenn-possible.livejournal.com]

Could you put her in jeans or sleepers backwards so she can't get the clothes off to get at the diaper?

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

i have friends who have done the overalls backwards trick.

[rebbyribs.livejournal.com]

If you're at all willing to do cloth diapers, something like this:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=139
might work for you. It's a cover with snaps, and you can use either disposable or washable inserts inside. (I think prefolds from a diaper service would work fine inside if you wanted to pay someone else to do the laundry.)