With everything you need at arms reach, diapering can be a relaxed and fun time for parent and child.

Keep your freshly laundered diapers in a drawer or on a shelf near the changing table. Have a container with wet wipes or dry wipes and water nearby. You can use a wipes solution, which is easy to make, or you can just use water. You will also want a stack of cloths for patting dry. If you live in a cold climate, you might even want to consider a wipes warmer to spare your baby the shock of a cold cloth on the bottom. Set your diaper pail near the changing table. Keep any cream or ointment, maybe a spray bottle full of water, up high, far out of baby's reach. Clean clothes should be nearby. And you will want to have somewhere to hang diaper covers to air out between uses.

Baby may need calming or just distracting. Diaper changing time is a great time to sing a song, kiss toes and belly, and make a baby giggle. Other sources of music can be interesting, too. Try mounting a musical mobile above the changing table, or set up a small stereo nearby. If baby needs something for busy hands, try a comb or another familiar object. As motivation for the reluctant baby, you could keep a small box of manipulative toys that are just for diaper time.

Don't forget your mobile changing table—the diaper bag. For short trips out, pack a couple of diapers with covers, a pack of wet wipes (buy a commercial travel pack and replace the wipes with cloth), some cloths, a changing pad, two nylon stuff sacks (one for clothes, one for diapers), diaper cream, a small spray bottle, a couple of small toys, and a spare outfit. If everything is in its pocket, diaper changes away from home can be quick and easy.