Check out the photo gallery at the end of this post to see how other parents have made their change areas work for them! Diaper changes - perhaps surprisingly - can be a delightful bonding time between parent and child. However, if you're not organized, sometimes the change time turns into more of a game of hide-and-seek for diapering accessories than it does a game of peek-a-boo with your little one. Here are a few tips for keeping yourself organized.

Keep it simple.

The only "need" in organizing diapers is to have everything in reach. This is not only to make it easy on yourself, but once your baby is old enough to roll, it's for safety too. You want to be able to keep one hand on your baby and still reach everything you need. Also, separating your diapers according to type (pockets, prefolds, all-in-ones, etc) can keep things simple too - that way you can grab exactly what you want, especially if you're in a hurry to get out the door or you're bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. Just remember to keep your wipes handy too!

A change table doesn't have to be a change table.

There are as many types of change tables as there are parents (well, almost, at least). There are certainly many styles of change tables that are designed exactly for that purpose, but there are lots of other options too. Some parents place a pad or a blanket on top of a dresser, a wide shelving unit, or a long countertop in the laundry room or bathroom. Others repurpose other furniture, such as a TV stand, for that purpose. Find what works for you, your budget, and your space.

Make it pretty (or at least pleasant).

Find bins and containers that fit your style and your space and that make diaper changing time enjoyable. These can be baskets, decorative bins, hanging shoe and shirt organizers, shelves, decorative hooks and bags, dresser drawers - anything that makes the job easy for you and that makes you feel good about your system.

Gather your accessories into one central location.

Keeping all your diapering and baby care accessories together, such as snappis, diaper balms, and nail clippers, will help little items from disappearing. Designate a decorative drinking glass, a basket on a shelf, or a clip-on basket on a hanging rail for this purpose.

Create a Mobile Change Unit (MCU)

For the times when you end up changing diapers on the bed or in the living room, or if you want to forgo creating a change table altogether, create what we at New & Green affectionately call a "Mobile Change Unit." This is a canvas bag or handled basket that is easy to grab and take with you anywhere in the house and has everything you need for a diaper change - a change pad, fresh diapers, wipes, a bottle of wipes solution, extra snappi's, diapering balm, a toy for distraction, and a bag to temporarily hold the dirties. The best part is, all you need to organize your diapers are a bookshelf or dresser where everything is easily grab-able when you want to restock your MCU. Easy as pie!

Want ideas? Here are how other parents have organized their change tables:

 

Using dresser drawers...

from Liz

Using decorative baskets and bins...

from Christine

Using a bookshelf...

Using a wide shelving unit with cubbies...

Re-purposing a TV stand...

 Using a dresser top...

Using lots of baskets and a hanging rail to dry covers...

from Mrs. Faber

Do you have ideas for organizing a change table? What has worked for you? We'd love to hear your ideas!

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