A Tip for the Parent’s … or Perhaps a Parenting Tip.

My son has some issues. Well actually, he has a lot of issues. He’s got eczema which isn’t uncommon but we think it’s linked to his severe allergies to eggs, wheat, milk, nuts and soy. Yeah, makes it difficult for the wife to eat since she’s still nursing.

Anyhoo with the extreme change in diet, we’ve managed to get the eczema under control but one major thing that we haven’t gotten under control is his incessant itching. He often has socks on his hands just so that he doesn’t cut open any skin that is uncovered. While driving him home one day he actually itched his head so much that his face was covered in blood. That’s no exaggeration. It was like a horror movie. He also had the horrible habit of pulling his hair out while itching. This caused him to look like he had a receding hairline. With great care, he has since grown that hair back.

Now comes to the topic at hand. Little man tends to itch at his lower extremities whenever that area gets open to the elements (most often getting his diaper changed). He’s actually bloodied some parts that, well… men wouldn’t want to discuss. This did not pose much of an issue when he was younger, smaller and of course weaker. I was able to hold both of his hands and feet with one hand while doing the changing with the free hand. As he has gotten older, bigger and of course stronger, this is no longer an option and the wife isn’t always available to help hold him down.

Here is a very simple trick that I came up with that allows me to change him easily without the need for backup. I’m sure someone else has also done the same but I’m pretty proud of myself for figuring it out on my own. I decided that I would share the tip since there actually have been people that have thanked me for this tip (namely my daycare providers).

First off you’ll need a long thin receiving blanket or a towel. Ideally it should be about three times longer than the shoulder width of the child. Thinner is better since it makes it easier to weave behind the head.

Fold the blanket lengthwise and place the child’s head and shoulders as pictured above.

Pull one arm up and wrap that side of the blanket over the arm and weave it under the head. Be gentle and don’t pull too hard. It doesn’t need to be super tight.

Repeat with the opposite side.

Now you can go about your business changing as you please without worrying about little hands flailing about. I highly doubt anyone will read this but if they do, I hope this has helped them out. Oh and don’t look directly into his eyes. That’s his look of “oh no you didn’t!”