Parents Should Ask Permission Before Changing Baby’s Diaper, Expert Claims

A sexuality expert sparked quite the debate among parents when she shared her belief that you should ask a baby’s permission before changing their diaper.

Now, as everyone knows, babies can’t actually talk yet. 

But Deanne Carson believes that even without words, babies can still communicate in a way that lets you know if they’re okay with having their diaper changed.

Deanne brought this up during a discussion on ABC News back in 2018, and the reactions were pretty much what you’d expect.

She suggested that parents should ask, “if it’s okay” before going ahead with a diaper change.

“Of course the baby is not going to respond ‘yes mum, that’s awesome. I’d love to have my nappy changed’,” Deanne acknowledged. 

“But if you leave a space, and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you’re letting that child know that their response matters.”

However, Deanne didn’t clarify what parents should do if the baby’s body language indicated they weren’t keen on being changed.

This raises the question of whether the baby would be left in a dirty diaper until they ‘consented’ to the change.

Not exactly an ideal situation, right? As you might guess, Deanne’s comments didn’t sit well with most parents.

Some believe a baby must consent to having their diaper changed. Getty Stock

One person shared their thoughts on Twitter, saying: “Either she has never wrestled a toddler during a change or worse, she just left hers in a sh*tty nappy until it was ready to consent.”

Another person found the whole idea ‘seemingly absurd.’

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” a third person vented.

“A child relies on their parent to take care of them and that includes personal hygiene! Especially as toddlers and babies.”

While many parents were skeptical, some social media users did agree that consent is important. They just felt Deanne might have taken it a bit too far.

“I’ve never been so confused in my life. Teaching children consent is 100% important but come on,” one person commented.

A few years after Deanne’s interview went viral, a popular childcare chain seemed to take inspiration from her ideas. 

They began encouraging parents to ask their child’s permission before changing their diaper.

Staff from Only About Children centers gave advice to parents, suggesting they ‘ask for cooperation’ when it came to diaper changes.

“Ask for your baby’s help, talk them through what you are doing and encourage the use of senses,” the advice stated, according to The Herald Sun.

Many parents questioned Deanne's advice about diaper changing. Getty Stock

“When toddlers become mobile, nappy changing may look quite different. Continue to ask for cooperation but understand that your toddler may wish to now stand for their nappy change. 

“Also to encourage their independence, you may ask him [or her] to take off his own nappy or wipe himself.”

Interesting, to say the least...