UPDATE 20mo - bedtime shenanigans & EW STILL - now nap time shenanigans too!!!

[Mackjack]

Normal nappies. Sometimes he undoes the tabs, sometimes he pulls the nappy down like a pull-up.

[Haribo2012]

Have you tried a onsie?

[Mackjack]

When you say a onesie do you just mean an all in one sleep suit with poppers?

[Haribo2012]

Yes but maybe one with more difficult openings

[Mackjack]

Well - today I cut the feet off a onesie and put it on backwards for nap time (I've tried this before but he managed to get it off but this one's got stiffer poppers). I also put a doll in his cot with several layers of dolls clothes on in the hope he would strip the doll and not himself. 

He undressed the doll for 10 mins or so then threw her and the clothes out of his cot. Then he started trying to get his onesie off. He got one arm out and opened a couple of poppers. Then he started getting annoyed and threw out his pillow. He then started whinging. I waited til he was properly crying to go in his room - when I did he was v upset and wanted cuddles and his pillow but I didn't give him a cuddle or give back anything he had thrown out. I kept telling him to lay down or I would leave.  I returned to his room every few mins as he was still crying and if he didn't lay down I left. Eventually he laid down but didn't like the feeling of the poppers in his back so I laid him on his front stroked his head, said he was a good boy for laying down and left the room. He went to sleep. All took about 45 mins.  So no nappy removal but he still attempted it and still messed around for ages.

So i don't know what to do tonight - I feel bad putting him in a back to front onesie if the buttons dig in his back when he lies down.

[Haribo2012]

Can he undo zips? Maybe look for a more or one with poppers didn't the side or zip!? He's a little magicians isn't he 

Maybe put a nappy on doll? How long did he nap for?

[Mackjack]

Yes he can undo any kind of fastening you can think of! !! Nappy on the doll is a good idea.  I capped his nap at 1hr 15 which is what I have been doing for almost a month as it *seems*  to help with EW but he is always really tired after I wake him and just cuddles me on the sofa trying to go back to sleep so I am never really sure whether I'm doing the right thing with his naps.  He's laying on me now nodding off....

[Haribo2012]

You could try putting the doll to bed game, put the nappy on tick her in etc and say good baby for keeping nappy it's night times see if a bit of roll play works!,

With the nap id prob keep as it is for now see if it passes but if still not helping push it later and cap it a bit more!?!x

[Mel_bhs2010]

My son takes his diaper off too, the only thing that helped is putting his diaper on backward..
I was worried about leaks at first but we haven't had one and we do this a few times a week since be turned one

[Mackjack]

Hi Mel. Did he do it at nap and BT?  I don't know if that'll work with DS unfortunately as he takes his off like a pull up sometimes.

Haribo - I'm worried that cutting his nap anymore will make him really OT as he's already so tired after his nap?

[Mel_bhs2010]

Hi Mel. Did he do it at nap and BT?  I don't know if that'll work with DS unfortunately as he takes his off like a pull up sometimes.

Haribo - I'm worried that cutting his nap anymore will make him really OT as he's already so tired after his nap?

Just at naps, when he took it off he undid one side and then pulled it down..after I started putting it backwards he searches for the tabs and then gives up

[Haribo2012]

I guess with naps it's a case of seeing how he goes for a bit and if gets bored of nappy thing sleep might come quicker.

You know him best honey and if you want to keep nap the same then do it and ride out the nappy taking off...I'm sure it will stop. There are lots of developmental things going on at this age x

[Mackjack]

Thank you both.  I put him in the back to front onesie again for BT and he did exactly the same as at nap time - basically ended up crying so I had to go in his room a few times. 

I think I will stick with nap as is, Haribo. Difficult as he is to read, I just have a feeling that cutting it further could spell ( even more) disaster.

Oh I wish he would just go to sleep without all this messing - it's just so exhausting.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

But he didn't manage to get out of the onesie? If he didn't I would keep doing that and then when he is upset keep going in with a key phrase and keep the interaction to a minimum. If he is still tired after his nap could he be ot? Is he cutting teeth or getting ill at all?

[Mackjack]

Yes I will keep on with the onesie.  That's what I'm wondering - if he could be OT. Because with all this messing about he's only getting about 11 - 11.5hrs sleep a day. He used to have a 2 hr nap and he would go down for his nap fine and only mess about at BT. We cut the nap to help with EW but now by the time he's finished stripping he's not asleep at night til 8pm and wakes at about 6am so the short nap doesn't seem to be achieving anything anymore. I *think* all of his teeth are through the gum now ( how many molars do they get again? ?? Can't remember!l)