Every adult baby boy has a onesie. Topher, a member of the Crinkle Club seems to have…dozens! But I wanted to take a few minutes today to honour the romper and to share some of my feelings as a Daddy when I see a baby boy in this cute article of clothing.
Onesies are for Babies
Now, don’t get me wrong: a onesie is the best first investment in a little one’s wardrobe (after diapers, of course).
A onesie keeps a little one’s diaper nice and secure and makes him look super babyish. A onesie accentuates the waddle caused by a properly thick diaper: the way it snaps up nice and snug helps to prevent diaper sag as it gets more and more squishy.
With a onesie holding his diaper in place, he’ll find it harder and harder to keep his legs together as his diaper gets more and more soggy.
A onesie helps to secure a diaper but not quite hide it: a baby boy will be conscious of the diaper peeking out slightly no matter how much he tries to tug at the material to cover it up.
A onesie can also serve a secret purpose: it looks a lot like a t-shirt when worn under jeans or shorts. The casual observer will think that your little guy just has a fun/colourful fashion sense and won’t realize that the “shirt” is actually snapped up between his legs, giving some small measure of crinkle muffling protection at the same time.
A onesie helps to reaffirm to your little one that he really is a baby: whether dressed in just a onesie and diaper at home, or wearing a onesie with jeans and a hoodie while out an about, your little guy can’t escape remembering that he really is a baby!
Rompers and Play
A romper, on the other hand, is for….well, for “romping”.
When you change your adult baby or little boy into a romper you’re sending a signal: it’s time for Lego, cartoons, Play Dough and finger painting (OK, maybe not that last one, which requires extra thinking before you let your little tornado loose!)
You’ve dressed him in a nice thick diaper and taped it up. You’ve slipped a romper over this head. You’ve taken an extra long time doing up the snaps: each time one of them clicks into place you feel him wiggle slightly, or maybe see him blush as the garment is secured over his padding.
You tap his paci or boop his nose and then give his bum a playful pat. He knows it’s time to play: to grab his army of plushies so that they can watch him with his latest Lego set.
The Added Security of a Romper
I think there’s something a bit devious about a romper. Your little guy will look down and see that his diaper is fully covered.
The short legs will make him feel like there’s enough material so that his diaper won’t peek out.
It almost gives the illusion that Daddy won’t be reminded all the time that his little guy actually needs his diapers! Oh! And maybe Daddy won’t change him as quickly, because it’s harder to tell if he’s wet!
Your baby boy will feel like he’s free to play and to get lost in ‘little space’ without feeling so self-conscious.
Now, most little ones I know enjoy the feeling of a wet diaper. So maybe his secret belief that his diaper is properly hidden will mean that he can get away with a squishy diaper for just a little while longer?
But that’s the devious part of a romper: because while they DO keep a diaper secure, a Daddy can tell when his little guy is wet. A romper can’t hide the way a diaper sags slightly as it gets properly used.
As your little guy plays on the floor you’ll notice the tell-tale signs:
- His legs spread slightly wider apart
- The bulge in his bum is slightly bigger
- He does that blushy wiggle when he wets or messes
Daddy can tell!
Your little one has been using his diaper, almost without thinking! The romper has given him the secret belief that his diapers are hidden and secure. He feels free to use them without worrying about how embarrassed he feels wetting or messing with Daddy around. And he figures he can ‘escape’ being changed too soon!
What Daddy’s Thinking
Being a Daddy to an adult baby or little boy is a joy in so many ways.
He can be super babyish when you dress him for bed in a footed sleeper, he can be a little adventurer in his shortalls and velcro-laced shoes, or he can be a playful toddler in his romper.
Who else gets the joy of so many ‘signals’? From playful to cuddly, blushy to giggly, there is a range of emotions that you’ll experience with your little guy.
Sure, he’s an adult. But he’s your little boy. It opens up a range of experiences and feelings which I think is super rare….and super needed in a world where we talk more about fear and anxiety than we do about joy and care.
But as a Daddy the cycle becomes more “complete” when you notice that your little guy’s bum is sagging in his cute romper. Maybe he even seems a little fussy and is zoning in and out of his Lego building tasks.
It’s time for a change: maybe he’s just super soggy or maybe he’s a little stinker.
And that’s where the real joy comes for a Daddy: because as you carefully undo the snaps on his romper and reveal his well-used diaper, you have a moment to reaffirm that it’s more than just clothes and diapers which brings you together.
Daddy is there to care for his little guy, to create a safe space to be the little boy that he truly is inside. The romper may have kept his diaper hidden and secure, but eventually Daddy will be there to reaffirm: yes, you really are a little boy; yes, you really DO need diapers; and yes, Daddy is here to change you, clean you up, dress you, and hold you tight whether you’re dressed in a romper, a onesie, or are wearing only a diaper.
It’s the cuddle, in the end, that counts the most.