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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Nosey about diaper changes
Poptarts22 07:12 AM 09-30-2016
I have three dck ages 3-4 that are super Nosey whenever I change diapers on little ones. They want to hover around and keep asking "did they pee? Did they poop?" No amount of ignoring the question will stop them. They will just keep the question. It is driving me batty!!! What do you suggest? Even if they clearly see poop-or no poop- they still ask
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Rockgirl 07:15 AM 09-30-2016
Once I had one on the potty, and I was changing a baby on the changing table. The one on the potty was trying to look around me at the baby while I was standing there, and finally said, "I can't SEE!"
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Blackcat31 07:31 AM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by Poptarts22:
I have three dck ages 3-4 that are super Nosey whenever I change diapers on little ones. They want to hover around and keep asking "did they pee? Did they poop?" No amount of ignoring the question will stop them. They will just keep the question. It is driving me batty!!! What do you suggest? Even if they clearly see poop-or no poop- they still ask
Teachable moment for sure!!!

It's the beginning stages of curiosity as to how their (and others') body works.

Answer their questions with questions... or with leading statements

DCK's: "Did they pee?"
You: "What do you see?" or "You tell me"

If they are truly interested, its a great way to work in discussions and lessons about how our bodies work and what happens when we urinate or have a bowel movement.

Yeah, it's kind of gross but everyone does it so...
Plus as a daycare provider, our version of "gross" is vastly different than other people's versions.

Either way, diaper changes are a fantastic teachable moment where you can cover subjects such as gender, urination/bowel movements, healthy foods, privacy, cleanliness etc.... TONS of topics all from a simple diaper change!
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midaycare 08:22 AM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Teachable moment for sure!!!

It's the beginning stages of curiosity as to how their (and others') body works.

Answer their questions with questions... or with leading statements

DCK's: "Did they pee?"
You: "What do you see?" or "You tell me"

If they are truly interested, its a great way to work in discussions and lessons about how our bodies work and what happens when we urinate or have a bowel movement.

Yeah, it's kind of gross but everyone does it so...
Plus as a daycare provider, our version of "gross" is vastly different than other people's versions.

Either way, diaper changes are a fantastic teachable moment where you can cover subjects such as gender, urination/bowel movements, healthy foods, privacy, cleanliness etc.... TONS of topics all from a simple diaper change!
My dck's all follow me when I change a diaper and it is highly entertaining to them.

Conversations go like this:

Dck: "Blank" pooped
Me: Yes she did
Dck: It's a grande (Spanish for big) poopy
Me: Sure is!
Dck: "Blank" doesn't have a winkie
Me: You mean penis. "Blank" doesn't have a penis.
Dck: Yup, penis. Neither do you, or "Blank", or "Blank". But "Blank" and "Blank" does!
Me: Yup.

That happens a few times a day. Various versions of it.
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Kimskiddos 09:12 AM 09-30-2016
I must be odd one out. I redirect the children away from diaper changes. Teach about bathroom privacy, but mainly it's child who is being changed and my time to connect. I want to engage the child and yes often it is silly. The other kiddos can wait until I'm done.
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TXhomedaycare 10:16 AM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by Kimskiddos:
I must be odd one out. I redirect the children away from diaper changes. Teach about bathroom privacy, but mainly it's child who is being changed and my time to connect. I want to engage the child and yes often it is silly. The other kiddos can wait until I'm done.
I do the same. I tell them "you get to close the restroom door and get privacy so they need privacy too go play". I redirect because the child that is getting changed might not want 5 other kids saying eew and asking questions about their body and staring at them.
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childcaremom 10:17 AM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by Kimskiddos:
I redirect the children away from diaper changes.
This is what I do, too.
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LostMyMarbles 10:20 AM 09-30-2016
I redirect too. Bathroom things are private. I don't feel comfortable exposing anyone to being watched during a private thing like diapering or potty training or even a trained child on the potty. We discuss that our private areas are just that, private. And if I get a persistent one, I say, this is not your business.
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MunchkinWrangler 10:31 AM 09-30-2016
I do a little of both to be honest. I explain potty and such but also explain the privacy of getting changed or going potty. I always say that they need to make sure to give privacy just they way that they are given privacy.

My 2 1/2 - 3 really catch on quick to this and mention their privacy if the door is opened or they get an audience.
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Rockgirl 11:01 AM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by MunchkinWrangler:
I do a little of both to be honest. I explain potty and such but also explain the privacy of getting changed or going potty. I always say that they need to make sure to give privacy just they way that they are given privacy.

My 2 1/2 - 3 really catch on quick to this and mention their privacy if the door is opened or they get an audience.
This is me. I do occasionally change a diaper while someone is going potty, but I'm standing between the two--no one sees anything.
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Blackcat31 11:02 AM 09-30-2016
Meh, I used to be "strict" or rigid about privacy about toileting and bathroom related stuff too but to be honest, they don't care at this age. The privacy stuff can come later after they've learned about their bodies and what respecting others even means.

I've learned that teachable moments are so important at this age and as close as these kids are all day (playing, sleeping, eating etc) privacy isn't really a priority to them.

IF I provided care for older kids (over age 5) I'd feel differently but over the years I've learned to not fuss about certain things and look at the bigger picture instead.

Telling them to go away or that diaper changing is a private thing only creates a sense of wrong doing or making them feel guilty for being curious about something they don't know much about yet.

NOT dissing those of you that tell the kids to go away that it's wrong AT ALL.... I'm just explaining my reasoning for doing what I do.
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LostMyMarbles 11:18 AM 09-30-2016
I'm hyper sensitive about privates. Reason being, years ago, I had a 5 year old girl who was always talking my ear off and followed me everywhere. Even to diaper changes. She was aware of male /female differences. We were outside one day, that 5 year old girl and two others, age 5 and 4 were swinging. I was in the sandbox with the littles. The 5 year old was giving an anatomy lesson to the other two, as my nosy elderly neighbor, a retired school teach was weeding his flowers next to the fence. He heard this anatomy lesson, he said it was inappropriprate for a child that young to know that stuff.

I did inform the parent of the other two about the conversation, that child A told his two about vaginas and penis, you know boys have a penis, girls have a vagina. No biggie, right? Well, he was the type that had a stick up his a$@ most of the time. He was pissed that his innocent girls learned the words vagina and penis.

So in light of that event many moons ago, I try to keep bathroom stuff and body parts private. Every parent has the right to discuss, or use different words as they see fit. I just try and keep my head down and not make eye contact.

Some kids take a word and use it to death.....(I did learn the word penis burger from a provider on here.) lol....

Do what you think is best. You know your group and what they can handle. (I can't handle kids using genitalia words over and over)
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midaycare 01:22 PM 09-30-2016
I teach privacy as an option. When kids are old enough to realize what is going on, I teach the phrase "privacy please".

If I think a little kid looks uncomfortable, I use the same phrase. Especially with new dcks.

But my dcks, minus one or two, aren't shy.

The story about the neighbor stinks. I have no neighbors
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MunchkinWrangler 10:36 PM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by midaycare:
I teach privacy as an option. When kids are old enough to realize what is going on, I teach the phrase "privacy please".

If I think a little kid looks uncomfortable, I use the same phrase. Especially with new dcks.

But my dcks, minus one or two, aren't shy.

The story about the neighbor stinks. I have no neighbors
I agree, when a child is old enough to start seeming like they need the privacy, I will make sure it happens. You can tell by their body language for sure, or the inability to 'go.'

I personally am horrible with being able to go in a public restroom so I feel their pain.
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Unregistered 10:43 PM 09-30-2016
Originally Posted by Kimskiddos:
I must be odd one out. I redirect the children away from diaper changes. Teach about bathroom privacy, but mainly it's child who is being changed and my time to connect. I want to engage the child and yes often it is silly. The other kiddos can wait until I'm done.
This is me
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knoxmomof2 12:15 AM 10-01-2016
I'm somewhere in the middle as well. If I feel like the child is honestly curious, we'll talk a bit about potties/ digestive system functioning/ the fact that boys' bottoms and girls' are different. I don't go into labeling parts unless their parents have already taught the proper words (I feel like that is the parent's area to decide since I only keep children under 5), but I don't use cutesy words either. If necessary I'll say "your front/ your back" or "your bottom/ private area" depending on the circumstances. If the child is just generally bugging me (LOL), I'll tell them to go play ☺️
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Meeko 07:39 PM 10-01-2016
Diaper changing time is a "Go play" time for older kids. They can ask their parents if they any questions and then the parents can say as much or as little as they like.

I wouldn't want to be questioned by a parent after they had this conversation with their child....

Parent: Did you have fun today at daycare?
Child: Yes
Parent: What did you talk about?
Child: We talked about Snowflake's vagina and Simon's penis.........


No thanks!!
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Mike 08:23 PM 10-01-2016
Originally Posted by Meeko:
Diaper changing time is a "Go play" time for older kids. They can ask their parents if they any questions and then the parents can say as much or as little as they like.

I wouldn't want to be questioned by a parent after they had this conversation with their child....

Parent: Did you have fun today at daycare?
Child: Yes
Parent: What did you talk about?
Child: We talked about Snowflake's vagina and Simon's penis.........


No thanks!!
That would be funny, but I sure wouldn't want to be there.

I would go in the middle and understand little kids curiosity, but also teach about privacy. I would answer questions as simply as possible and tell them to ask their parents if they need to know more. Some parents don't want to say much though, but they do say more now than they used to. I'm going to give a little embarrassing story, but it is from 40 years ago.

As kids, our parents never told us anything about sex. I woke up one morning with sticky underwear and had no idea what happened. I panicked but due to the location and the secrecy in our household, I couldn't tell my parents something was wrong with me, so I went to the library to see if I can find out. It took a while because I had no idea what I was looking for, but I found out all right.
feel free to laugh

That's when I decided that if I ever had kids, I'd talk to them and make sure they felt safe talking to me about anything. In my babysitting years, I've had a few older kids ask me personal questions, or confide in me, things they couldn't talk to their parents about. Not such a big deal now, but still is for some.
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