Member Questions

My toddlers pull off all their pjs and diapers at night. Which has led to soggy beds and/or middle-of-the-night dressing sessions. I'm also concerned about poop in the beds, frankly! Any tips on getting them to stay clothed at night??”

Asked by spacegeek on 4th February 2009 | 5 replies

5 replies so far...

Don't duct tape the pjs. Duct tape the diaper. A neighbor of our had triplet boys and they had a roll of duct tape at the changing table because once the boys started moving they loved to strip. a three inch piece of duct tape over the tabs of the diaper worked wonders. they only this is you have to also keep a pair of scissors in the drawer of changing table to remove the diaper easier.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Angel on 10th February 2009
Thanks for these ideas! I have one who is potty-trained during the day, but we're trying to avoid nighttime disasters. (My twins are 2.5 yrs old, btw.) The other child just doesn't care where she goes. Just doesn't want to be controlled.
I think we'll try the backwards sleepwear. Someone else mentioned duct tape on the pjs. That just seems extreme.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by spacegeek on 6th February 2009
i read this idea in a parenting magazine: put a strip of duct tape from tab to tab on the diapers. skl is probably onto something with the potty training thing, but you'll still have to diaper them for a while at night either way.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Steel Magnolia on 5th February 2009
Way back when I was a nanny I had a little guy who did this all the time. I finally started to diaper him backwards -- his chubby arms couldn't reach the tabs if they were on the back -- and I put two-piece pajamas on him, plus socks. Even if he managed to wriggle out of the bottoms, he couldn't really manage to get the top off. Long underwear is great for this -- it fits more snuggly that standard pjs, and are nice and warm...

If your toddlers are really tiny (12 to 18 months), you could try zipping them in to sleepsacks at night. They're like sleeping bags with arm and neck holes, really comfy and cozy. My kids loved them (before they outgrew them)!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by Lylah M. Alphonse on 5th February 2009
Zipper jammies put on backwards. (May neet to cut off the feet.)

I also think this behavior is a sign of potty training readiness. Once they are trained, you'll sleep a lot better . . . .

Flag as inappropriate Posted by SKL on 5th February 2009