Every parent and grandparent knows how hard it is to put clothes on a fussy, squirmy, angry, wiggly, indignant, and grumpy naked baby. The first time you try it, you might think it isn't possible. As fast as you can get the shirt on him, he's throwing it off! The legs are kicking like two little pistons in a locomotive. One leg goes into the pajamas and the other is husking it off in the blink of an eye, like an ear of corn in a corn shucking contest! You've got him on his back, but he is determined to twist out of your grip and crawl away to anywhere else. He's screeching like a chimpanzee all the while. You're bound to get frustrated.

Usually this scene takes place after a nice warm bath, prior to bedtime. You've got him cleaned and lotioned, and he's fighting to stay naked. He's got his second wind right before bed and he wants to play. What he doesn't know is that he really is tired and ready to hit the hay, you are too. He can play all he wants to - in the crib.

I've got some great tips for you to make your dressing routine a little easier. With our third wiggly, highly mobile and motivated little rugrat in our charge, I can say that these tips have worked well nearly every time!

1. Take the baby, diaper, and clothes to a quiet spot in the house, free of distraction. I like to use our bedroom. I put him on the bed. This is a "shock and awe" technique which pulls him out of his familiar surroundings, makes him more cautious about trying to get away from you (due to his new elevation) and makes for a comfortable working height for the parent.

2. Tickle him. If he's crying a lot, just tickle him some more in all the places that always make him giggle. For Bodie it's rasberries on his tummy. I hold his hands above his head  and go to town on his armpits and bellybutton. After a few seconds of this he's usually in stitches. I like to get him laughing so hard that he's nearly out of breath. You can transform your baby from "angry/fussy" to "jolly/delighted" in a matter of seconds with a little practice. If his mood really stinks, the disposition will transform right back to "infuriated" just as fast. So quickly proceed to the next step!

3. (Skip this step if you are using footed pajamas) The first article of clothes to apply are the socks. You may be thinking "Socks?"  Yes, socks. They provide a nice sheathe for the baby's feet, which as you know by now can be his most formidable weapon. His sprawled little toes won't be able to grip and tear at the diaper or pants, like a set of eagle's talons. You'd be amazed how much easier it is to slip his little jack hammering legs into the holes once the socks are on his feet.  As a side note: We put Bodie in size 4-5 pullups at night. They hold more, leak less, and provide a some breathing room for his cheeks. He's about 25 lbs now, and they fit fine. They're just harder to get on than his regular diaper due to his kung fu feet and vivacious will to be nude. Hence the socks. So grab those little feet and get the socks on as soon as you can.

4. Tickle some more! My specific technique is to use short bursts of tickling (4-6 seconds) followed by a pause. Repeat this a few times, getting the child used to the rhythm of it, like a game. You will note that the baby will hold perfectly stationary for a moment as the laughter subsides, eyes transfixed on your face, waiting for the next tickle assault. Don't waste time now, get to step 5!

5. Now you have the upper hand! Take this window of opportunity and get that diaper on now! Then stuff a leg into the pants! You may only be able to do one appendage at a time before he needs more tickling, but that's okay. When he starts to fuss again and fight you, you know what to do: more tickling. Remember to use short bursts, then randomly pick a time between the blitzes to unite the correct arm/leg/head with the corresponding hole. If he winds up on his tummy, don't try to force him to roll over again, just tickle his back. I like to go after the ribs and neck, which usually makes him roll back over for me. I have kind of a scruffy goatee, which probably feels pretty funny on his skin.

By the time you reach the end of this dressing routine, you and the baby will be more friends than enemies. Instead of being angry and frustrated with each other, you've had a fun and positive episode! This method works almost every time, even (sometimes) on a colicky baby! Gavin had colic, and almost nothing would make him happy, much less go to sleep. I have some kind of permanent strain in my left arm from carrying him around the house for hours. No kidding! Colic is no joke. The only way we could get him to sleep was to put him in his car seat and drive around the neighborhood, then very carefully move him in his car seat from the car to the top of the (running) dryer! Anyway, I remember he did love it when I would hold his arms up over his head and tickle his little ribs while trying to get him dressed. Take my advice the next time the baby is putting up a battle against you! Attack him with tickles and you will both be happier in the end!