DCB almost 2 started fighting diaper changes on Friday. He used to easily lift his legs and allow wiping, but as of Friday he whines and refuses to lift his legs and doesn't want to let me or my assistant lift them either. Mom came to pick up and DCB yelled "I pooped", so I checked, and he had. I tagged DCM in because my infant was screaming for food and we had somewhere to be within an hour so we had to get going. DCM began changing him in the bathroom and he did the same whining and refusal to lift his legs, I said that "he just started doing that to us this morning", she said oh I must have hurt his hip a little. Okay, I think nothing of it...DCB is at and age where kids sometimes fight diaper changes.

Fast forward to today, DCBs first day back, he does the same thing at his first change. I call mom and ask if he did it over the weekend, she says no, I mention that I will keep an eye on it, but if it's his hips like she mentioned Friday, that he may need to be checked out, then I kind of laughed it off and said "maybe he just doesn't like his diaper changed", she said that he definitely doesn't! Then at his next change with my assistant he again fights and whines and refuses to lift his legs, but this time yells "Dada". My assistant and I both look at each other...this child has never uttered the word "Dada" here before.

I don't think this is really enough to be concerned over, it's just weird. I'm not sure if I should wait and see or say something to mom?! I have no proof of anything, just a weird feeling.

I documented the whole thing. What would you do? Are we just reading too much into this?

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This sounds like pretty common toddler behavior. I don't think I've ever had a child who didn't go through that phase.

I kept changes quick, and sometimes a stern "NO!" when they were kicking, etc. Basically once I was sure that the child was NOT hurt/abused, etc. I treated it like the behavior issue it was - I changed quick and ignored the protests

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But I'm wondering about the "I must have hurt his hip" comment? What's that about?

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Idk, but it was awkward anyway because mom is crouched on my bathroom floor changing her sons diaper, she's never stepped foot past my front door since the interview.

The way he whines and cries when you go to lift his legs is like it hurts him, I KNOW it doesn't, and we stopped trying to lift his legs all together, but maybe that's why she said it.

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I have a child here who does the same thing and I know it can be normal, but I agree, the hip comment is weird and would have me wondering. Maybe something happened and it hurts when his legs are lifted.

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I don't think his hip is hurt and I said this to mom on the phone he is walking and running just fine (runs too much in the house and we are trying to curb that behavior lol). If it were his hips, he would be able to move around the way he does.

I'm sure it's nothing, my assistant and I both thought it a little odd. I'll just keep an eye on it.

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Yeah, it's probably just a toddler thing then....lol

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But sometimes a different range of motion would cause something to hurt when it doesn't otherwise. Maybe you could play a game with him and pretend to exercise or something and see if it hurts then.?

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The hip comment is weird. I would just keep documenting and keep an eye on it for now. Try the above, for sure.

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Maybe she was just self-conscious because her child was making such a fuss?

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What happens if you lift his legs with his diaper on?

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I tried making it a game like someone suggested and moved his legs around the same way I would when changing, and no whining. I told Mom this and we both agree he is just entering a phase of not wanting to be changed.

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My initial thought when I read the OP is that mom may have been grasping to figure it out. When dealing with behavior most people do try to rationalize it - is the child tired, hungry sick, hurt, etc. It only becomes a problem when the adult then uses those conditions as an excuse, IMO. ("Jr. was only kicking you because he was hungry and you need to make sure he gets more food..." )

I had a child who would "OW!" at diaper changes. Apparently he had it figured that if he "faked" injury, the diaper change would stop. Thankfully the parents were not having it (he did it with them as well) and we were all on the same page (though that did NOT stop me from documenting and emailing my licensor ) which ended the behavior pretty quickly.

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